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University of Leicester and The Apollo University Partner to Revolutionize Global Healthcare

Apr 16, 2024 by Sujata 0 Comments #Data Science, #Global Healthcare, #healthcare, #Healthcare Management, #Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), #Professor Henrietta O’Connor, #Professor Vinod Bhat, #The Apollo University, #University of Leicester, #Vinod Bhat

Bengaluru, April 16th, 2024: Strengthening collaborative education and research ties between the UK and India, the University of Leicester (Leicester) and The Apollo University (TAU), a part of the Apollo Hospitals Group, have initiated an unprecedented programme partnership. Marking a significant milestone, this collaboration launches a computer science programme wherein students commence their studies with two years at TAU in Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh, India, before progressing to their final year and graduation at the University of Leicester, UK.

The Apollo University and the University of Leicester aim to prepare 120 students for the first cohort, with the curriculum jointly mapped between the two universities. Students who achieve a minimum of 50% in Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics during their Intermediate or diploma studies, and successfully complete Class 12 or its equivalent with these subjects as majors from a recognized Board are eligible to apply for the Programme. Upon successful completion of their studies at TAU, students have the opportunity to select from computer science programme specializing in Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, or Software Engineering at Leicester. Furthermore, the articulation pathway (formally agreed and approved admission route, for enrolled students) provides students with the option to pursue a one-year master’s degree in their chosen discipline. Post-course completion, students who are eligible will also have access to placement opportunities and post-study work visas in the UK.

Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Leicester, Professor Henrietta O’Connor, said: “We are delighted to announce this first official step in our partnership with the Apollo Hospitals Group which reiterates our shared vision around using the power of education and research to bring real-world changes, particularly in the areas of healthcare and data science. We were recently awarded the highest possible rating of overall Gold in the Teaching Excellence Framework for the experience and outcomes we deliver for students and this accolade, alongside our top 30 result in analysis of the Research Excellence Framework, shows the University of Leicester is a world-leading research-intensive University with the power to create graduates and staff members who drive world change. It is very exciting to harness this power through our alliance with Apollo and a global degree programme that could transform the healthcare of the future.”

Professor Vinod Bhat, Vice Chancellor of The Apollo University said: ” Apollo University has always been a flagbearer towards quality training programs in technological and healthcare research. I view this alliance as a unique opportunity to redefine the landscape of higher education. Being at the forefront of healthcare transformation, my vision for this partnership goes beyond academic boundaries. It is about creating pathways for students that transcend geographical constraints, allowing them to absorb the best of both institutions and work towards advancing global health.”

The partnership follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) last year between the University of Leicester and the Apollo Hospitals Group, a globally recognized integrated healthcare service provider. The MOU outlined a collaborative vision in healthcare management, healthcare, and data science, leveraging cutting-edge research and educational opportunities to harness the potential of artificial intelligence and address global healthcare challenges and skills shortages in both the UK and India.

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Rashtrotthana Hospital, Bengaluru Marks a Milestone as the First Hospital Under Rashtrotthana Parishat to Implement Contactless Remote Patient Monitoring with Dozee to Enhance Patient Safety

Apr 15, 2024 by Sujata 0 Comments #Bengaluru, #Dr. (Col) Anand Shankar, #Early Warning System, #healthcare, #Rashtrotthana Hospital

Bangalore, India, 15th April 2024: Jayadev Memorial Rashtrotthana Hospital & Research Centre, a leading 162-bed Integrated Multi-Specialty Tertiary Care Hospital, has announced the adoption of Dozee’s advanced AI-based Contactless and continuous Patient Monitoring and Early Warning System (EWS). This implementation establishes Jayadev Memorial Rashtrotthana Hospital as the pioneer among South Indian hospitals affiliated with Rashtrotthana Parishat, showcasing their commitment to leveraging “Made in India’ technology for enhanced patient safety, continuum of care, and to elevate overall patient care standards.

HOSPITAL

The Non-ICU ward beds in Jayadev Memorial Rashtrotthana Hospital & Research Centre are equipped with next-generation ambulatory connected patient monitoring systems enabling contactless continuous vitals monitoring and an Early warning alert system by Dozee. Dozee’s solution is cloud-enabled and comes with a central and remote patient monitoring capability that empowers healthcare providers to monitor the patient continuously and more effectively to provide timely medical interventions for improved patient safety and clinical outcomes. Automation and digitalization of vital data and operational processes are significant for Jayadev Memorial Rashtrotthana Hospital & Research Centre in its journey to provide Quality healthcare to every Indian.

Jayadev Memorial Rashtrotthana Hospital & Research Centre is a part of Rashtrotthana Parishat established with the objective of providing affordable, high quality and human healthcare to people of all strata of the society. The Hospital has 19 general wards, 72 semi private wards, 11 emergency wards and 17 private wards, totalling 162 beds equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure.

Dozee enables healthcare workers to remotely monitor patients’ vital parameters such as heart rate, respiration rate, blood pressure, SPO2 levels, temperature, and ECG. Dozee’s Early Warning System (EWS) tracks the trends of vital parameters and provides alerts to healthcare providers for early detection of patients’ clinical deterioration, enabling timely medical intervention. Dozee uses AI-based Ballistocardiography (BCG) for contactless vitals monitoring. Dozee’s technology is patented and made in India. Dozee’s innovative technology significantly impacts patient safety, clinical outcome, and operational efficiency. Research done by independent consulting firm Sattva shows that for every ~100 Dozee connected beds, it can save ~144 lives and ~80% of the time taken for vitals by nurses and reduce ICU ALOS by ~1.3 days.

Dr. (Col) Anand Shankar, HOD Anaesthesiology and ER, Jayadev Memorial Rashtrotthana Hospital & Research Centre, Bangalore said “As the healthcare landscape undergoes continual transformation, it is imperative for healthcare providers to adapt and arm themselves with cutting-edge tools for delivering optimal patient care. Our fundamental commitment to providing high-quality care and improving patient outcomes aligns seamlessly with our decision to partner with Dozee, a ‘Made in India’ contactless and continuous patient monitoring solution. By embracing this healthcare innovation early on, we position ourselves at the forefront of setting new standards for patient safety in the country, with the potential to save lives. We are delighted to be part of this journey with Dozee.”

Dr. Atmaram D C, Medical Director, Rashtrotthana Hospital, shared his perspective on the adoption of Dozee’s technology, stating, ” Jayadev Memorial Hospital is a 162-bed Integrated Multispecialty hospital focused on providing affordable quality health care to people of all sections of the society. With patient safety as our top priority, Dozee’s AI based contactless monitoring system with its early warning system helps us effectively provide time-based interventions for better care. Its cloud-enabled technology allows our doctors to remotely monitor their patients’ vitals and advice accordingly. The data collected is of vital importance and probably will lay the foundation for all our future research studies.

Dr. Shyla H N, Medical Administrator, Jayadev Memorial Rashtrotthana Hospital & Research Centre, Bangalore expressed enthusiasm about the hospital’s commitment to embracing connected care system said, “The integration of Dozee into our patient care protocols reflects our commitment to embracing cutting-edge technologies that enhance healthcare delivery, At the Heart of Rashtrotthana Hospital are our core values, compassion excellence innovation and commitment embracing technological advancement and refining our methodology. We are committed in our pursuit of excellence and amidst evolution lies our commitment to compassionate care and service to the community.

“It’s our privilege to join hands with a prestigious institution like Jayadev Memorial Rashtrotthana Hospital & Research Centre as we aim to leverage technology to enhance patient safety and improve clinical outcomes and nursing efficiency. Adoption of continuous ward monitoring and Early Warning Systems is pivotal for delivering quality healthcare at scale. This collaboration is a testament to the growing role of Indian innovation in shaping the future of healthcare globally.” said Mudit Dandwate, Dozee’s CEO and Co-founder.

Jayadev Memorial Rashtrotthana Hospital & Research Centre’s decision to adopt Dozee exemplifies its dedication to staying at the forefront of healthcare innovation, ensuring that patients receive the highest standard of care in a technologically advanced and patient-centric environment. The hospital has renowned doctors and specialists in the field of Modern Medicine, Ayurveda, Homeopathy, Yoga & Naturopathy providing expert care with a holistic approach.

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Vedanta Aluminium’s Healthcare Initiatives Benefit around 4 Lakh People in Odisha & Chhattisgarh

Apr 10, 2024 by Gayathri Pariti 0 Comments #Chhattisgarh, #healthcare, #My health, #my right, #Odisha, #Vedanta Aluminium

On the occasion of World Health Day, Vedanta Aluminium, India’s largest producer of aluminium, has announced benefitting around 4 lakh people in Odisha & Chhattisgarh through its community health interventions in FY24. The company has been serving its communities through high-quality health services, encouraging the adoption of preventive healthcare and providing quality curative health services to the local populace. Well-aligned with the theme of this year, “My health, my right”, the company is empowering people to champion the right of everyone, everywhere to have access to quality health services, education, and information, in underserved, remote regions.

vedanta

The company undertook several initiatives across its operations: in Jharsuguda, Odisha, home to the company’s mega aluminium plant; at its operations in Lanjigarh, home to its world-class alumina refinery; at BALCO, India’s iconic aluminium producer and a unit of Vedanta Aluminium located in Korba, Chhattisgarh; and at Vizag General Cargo Berth (VGCB) port operations. In Jharsuguda, the company organised mega drives through mobile healthcare vehicles and the distribution of informative leaflets in nearly 30 villages to sensitize the community to adopt healthier lifestyles. Additionally, a pilot breast cancer screening camp was also conducted at the Vedanta Aluminium supported Jharsuguda Diagnostic Centre, one of the largest multi-facility diagnostic centres in Odisha.

In Lanjigarh, a multi-speciality mega health camp benefitted the community by offering free healthcare services, including medical consultations, screening tests, medications, and vaccinations, reaching out to more than 500 people. Furthermore, a week-long awareness drive on health and hygiene practices was conducted across 20 villages, benefiting approximately 1,000 residents along with a blood donation camp.

In Korba, Chhattisgarh, the company kicked off an assistive device distribution drive towards creating a more inclusive, supportive, and equitable community, by distributing walking sticks, tripods, crutches, walkers & wheelchairs to elderly & specially-abled persons. Moreover, it organized 2 multi-speciality mega health camps in Bhadrapara & Belakachar benefitting around 500 community members with specialty healthcare services from dentists, dermatologists, orthopedics, gynecologists, physiotherapists, and general physicians, along with diagnostic tests for diabetes, blood pressure.

At its port operations VGCB, a two-day eye check-up camp was conducted, where around 400 people underwent comprehensive eye examinations to identify vision impairment and other ocular conditions. Subsequently, free spectacles were distributed to address vision

impairment in the patients. Moreover, the unit also provided essential support to people with special needs from marginalised communities, through battery-operated wheelchairs, tricycles, wheelchair riders, commode wheelchairs, and tripod walk sticks, with an aim to enhance mobility and independence for them.

Vedanta Aluminium extends a comprehensive array of basic and specialized healthcare services to underserved communities in Odisha and Chhattisgarh, encompassing areas within and surrounding its operational sites. These initiatives complement existing healthcare infrastructure in the region and encompass:

Mobile Health Units: The communities in Vedanta Aluminium’s operational vicinity often live in areas that are hard to reach, or far off from government healthcare facilities. To cater to them, Vedanta Aluminium operates Mobile Health Units that provide doorstep primary healthcare services to these communities every week of the year, as per a pre-determined schedule. Additionally, it operates round-the-clock ambulance services for seamless referrals.
Vedanta Hospital, Lanjigarh: Vedanta Limited Lanjigarh built a first-of-its-kind 20- bedded Multi- Speciality Hospital at Lanjigarh, Kalahandi in 2010. It is outfitted with a proficient team of doctors, physiotherapists, and visiting specialists. It provides preventive & curative healthcare facilities free of cost to the neighbouring community of Kalahandi & Rayagada district, with an emphasis on serving the underprivileged.
Nand Ghars: Through its Nand Ghars, which are ultra-modern anganwadis that act as centres of women & child development, Vedanta Aluminium provides quality healthcare and proper nutrition to small children, pregnant women and new mothers.
Vedanta Diagnostic Centres: Two cutting-edge diagnostic centres in Jharsuguda and Laikera provide a comprehensive range of Radiology and Pathology services, including MRI and CT scanning facilities, contributing to improved healthcare delivery and diagnosis in the region. The Diagnostic Centres offer services at nominal charges, aligned with the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) rates.
Project Arogya: The project is a comprehensive health initiative across operations that provides high-quality primary healthcare services, encompassing both preventive and curative measures through rural health posts. It places special emphasis on maternal and child health, with a particular focus on combating malnutrition and anaemia. Additionally, the initiative conducts awareness campaigns on HIV, Tuberculosis (TB), and substance de-addiction.
Nayi Kiran, menstrual health program: At Chhattisgarh, the company’s Nayi Kiran project creates awareness of menstrual health & hygiene, builds capacity for manufacturing of sanitary products, and develops local champions of menstrual health. So far, the project has sensitized 57,000+ community members towards menstruation.
BALCO Hospital: BALCO Hospital offers 120 beds and a skilled medical team of specialists. It houses state-of-the-art facilities including a fully equipped Modular OT, a cutting-edge CT scan room, an advanced X-ray room, and an emergency and critical care unit for meeting the healthcare requirements of the community. Additionally, as an ISO 9001-2015 certified facility, the hospital boasts robust quality management systems. The hospital receives a yearly footfall of more than 1. 8 lakh people from the communities.
BALCO Medical Centre (BMC): BALCO Medical Centre (BMC) is a 170-bed, state- of-the-art tertiary care Oncology facility in Naya Raipur. It is the flagship initiative of Vedanta Medical Research Foundation (VMRF), a non-profit organization by Vedanta Resources and Bharat Aluminium Company Ltd. (BALCO). BMC is emerging as a national leader in India’s oncology space, providing comprehensive medical, surgical, radiation, haematological, BMT, and palliative care services.

health

Ngram Expands AI Dataset Offerings with Descriptive Question Answering for Healthcare

Mar 22, 2024 by Neel Achary 0 Comments #healthcare

San Francisco, CA, March 22, 2024 — Ngram, a pioneering generative AI company in the life sciences industry, today announced the release of its medchat-qa-descriptive dataset on Hugging Face. This new dataset complements Ngram’s previously launched medchat-qa dataset by providing AI models with the capability to answer complex, open-ended medical questions that require detailed, descriptive responses.

The medchat-qa-descriptive dataset contains thousands of real-world queries from healthcare professionals (HCPs) across a broad range of medical topics. Unlike factoid questions with straightforward answers, these queries demand comprehensive explanations and insights drawn from scientific literature.

“While our initial medchat-qa dataset revolutionized how AI systems handle factual medical queries, there remained a significant gap in addressing more nuanced inquiries that require deeper reasoning and context,” said Anish Muppalaneni, CEO and co-founder of Ngram. “With medchat-qa-descriptive, we are empowering AI models to provide rich, substantive responses that truly meet the needs of healthcare professionals and their patients.”

As Devadutta Ghat, CTO and co-founder of Ngram, explained, “Developing AI capable of understanding and responding to descriptive medical questions is a monumental challenge that requires extensive training data. By open-sourcing this new dataset, we aim to accelerate research in this critical area and drive the creation of AI assistants capable of engaging in intelligent dialogue with clinicians.”

The medchat-qa-descriptive dataset features several key attributes:

– Over 1,000 open-ended questions from HCPs across various 50+ therapeutic areas.
– Detailed, multi-paragraph descriptive answers compiled from authoritative medical sources.
– Diverse query topics, including disease mechanisms, treatment rationales, and patient education.
– Freely available under an open-source license on the Hugging Face dataset repository.
– Available at this url: https://huggingface.co/datasets/ngram/medchat-qa-descriptive

By combining the new descriptive dataset with the existing medchat-qa factoid dataset, Ngram provides a comprehensive resource for evaluating AI models’ ability to understand and respond to the full spectrum of medical inquiries. “The ability to provide substantive, context-rich information is crucial for healthcare professionals making treatment decisions,” Anish Muppalaneni noted. “With our expanded dataset offerings, we are equipping AI to be an invaluable assistant that can quickly surface relevant insights from vast medical knowledge bases.”

The release of medchat-qa-descriptive reinforces Ngram’s commitment to accelerating AI innovation that enhances access to medical information and improves patient outcomes. To learn more about the new dataset and Ngram’s mission, visit www.ngram.com.

About Ngram Ngram is dedicated to empowering life sciences organizations with generative AI technology. The company’s solutions help medical affairs and pharmacovigilance teams instantly access pertinent information, reducing response times from days to seconds. Founded in 2022 by Anish Muppalaneni and Devadutta Ghat, Ngram has received support from prominent investors in digital health and enterprise AI. For more information, visit www.ngram.com.

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Transforming Rural Rajasthan: RD Foundation’s Economic and Social Revitalization Through Healthcare and Education

Mar 14, 2024 by Sujata 0 Comments #Chetan Singh Rathod, #Education, #healthcare, #RD Foundation

Chetan Singh Rathod, In Rajasthan’s remote villages, RD Foundation is pioneering a transformation, not just in healthcare, but in the socio-economic fabric of rural communities. By conducting over 100,000 OPDs across 36 villages, the foundation is not merely addressing immediate health concerns but is fostering a healthier, more productive population poised to contribute significantly to the local and national economy.

The foundation’s mobile medical health van, staffed with medical professionals, symbolizes hope and progress, offering free health check-ups, diagnoses, and medicines. This initiative not only improves the quality of life but also empowers villagers with the knowledge and resources to maintain their health, reducing long-term healthcare costs and enhancing workforce productivity.

Understanding the pivotal role of education in economic empowerment, RD Foundation established Mcare Academy. This vocational training institute transcends traditional education barriers by offering free mobile repair training, enabling young individuals to secure employment or start their own businesses. This initiative not only combats poverty but stimulates local economies through entrepreneurship and job creation.

Moreover, RD Foundation’s engagement in addressing social menaces and promoting awareness on critical issues like drug abuse and menstrual hygiene further underscores its holistic approach to community development. Collaborative efforts with law enforcement and awareness campaigns are instrumental in creating safer, more informed communities, contributing to the social stability necessary for economic development.

Mr. Chetan Singh Rathod, the visionary founder of RD Foundation, remarks, “Our journey from a healthcare initiative to a multifaceted force for change is a testament to the transformative power of grassroots efforts. We believe in empowering villages as the cornerstone for a prosperous nation, where every individual’s well-being contributes to our collective journey toward prosperity.”

As RD Foundation continues to empower villages, its model of comprehensive, grassroots engagement presents a blueprint for sustainable development. The foundation’s success stories in rural Rajasthan are a testament to the potential of targeted social initiatives to catalyze economic growth and national prosperity, embodying the belief that empowerment at the grassroots is key to transformative change.

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Jayesh Saini – The Man Revolutionizing Healthcare in Africa

Jun 7, 2022 by Praveen 0 Comments #Africa, #healthcare, #Jayesh Saini

Jayesh Saini of Kenya, a second-generation Kenyan who is the founder of Bliss Healthcare, started his career in the medical field with wise guidance from his father, a medical practitioner who started the Nairobi West Hospital. Jayesh Saini’s vision is to provide quality and affordable healthcare to Kenyans through his wide network of hospitals.

Jayesh started his career in the family-owned Nairobi West Hospital, a world-class 400-bed fully-fledged medical facility. In almost 20 years, he has invested greatly in healthcare. Besides Bliss Healthcare, he owns Medicross Limited, comprising 10 outpatient centres equipped to offer comprehensive quality services.

“A country cannot purport to have a good healthcare system without the services being easily accessible, affordable and generally acceptable quality to majority of the populace. And none of the three is more important than the other but are like conjoined triplets – the three must go together.” These were the words of Mr. Jayesh Saini, the owner of Bliss Healthcare Limited, on why he decided to open the healthcare facilities across the country.

In his opinion, there is no point of having affordable services that are 100 kilometers away, or accessible services that are of poor quality or good quality services that are not reachable. Majority of healthcare providers in Kenya were concentrated mainly in Nairobi and the urban towns such as Mombasa and Kisumu with many of them being out of reach for most people in terms of charges. Even with government facilities spread out in many parts of the country, there is the issue of lack of medicines and equipment for diagnostics which means that most treatments are based on clinical assessment.

Started in 2012, Bliss Healthcare is an outpatient service provider, offers a wide range of services from routine health examinations to managing chronic conditions.

Reflecting on the journey, he had this to say, “Bliss began its journey with an aim of patient satisfaction and a goal of saving and enriching lives. We work to improve efficiency, flexibility and accountability in healthcare. We have developed bespoke models of healthcare that meet health-related needs of the diverse population we serve. Over time, the immense public approval of services offered by our employees has led to our robust growth.

Jayesh has managed to make sure the Bliss Healthcare clinics have over 1,100 healthcare professionals working throughout the facilities to serve more than 960,000 patients per year. It has an unmatched array of equipment, namely 6 CT Scans, 41 X-Ray machines, 56 Ultrasounds, 53 Dental Units and 48 Optical Units spread across the country. This infrastructure allows Bliss Healthcare to offer standardized quality of care throughout its footprint countrywide, making it the largest and fastest growing network of the healthcare providers in Africa.

Bliss Healthcare network of clinics include Doctor Consultation, Laboratory, Radiology, Optical, Dental care, Dialysis, all designed to increase accessibility to advanced primary, specialty, and ambulatory care services at affordable cost while improving the overall quality of the health.

In 2017, Mr Jayesh Saini added inpatient care by setting up two hospitals under LifeCare Hospitals Limited. In line with his passion, he is currently setting up another 6 facilities geographically spread in Kenya bringing total bed capacity to 2000.

On what he perceives to be the direction of healthcare in Kenya, Mr. Saini is quick to point out that there was a great challenge of affordability and accessibility of quality healthcare amongst majority of the people. He believes that healthcare is not a preserve of the rich or the urban areas only and that the services should be expanded even into the remotest areas noting that falling ill is not a choice issue but can and happens to people of all walks of life. He sees a future of accessible healthcare to all at rates that will be affordable especially for basic life saving primary healthcare. This he believes is an idea whose time has come and cannot be stopped. Bliss Healthcare is in the forefront, supporting the Government of Kenya’s initiative of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) through providing affordable quality services spread throughout the country.

Besides his primary work in healthcare, Mr. Jayesh Saini is also very invested in Community Engagement. Bliss Healthcare routinely conducts more than 100 free medical camps as well as free health talks all around the country each year.

With an extraordinary array of resources for the provision of compassionate, state-of-the-art care, Bliss Healthcare is poised to identify and respond to the health-related needs of the diverse population they serve.

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Affordplan Swasth And NU Hospitals Announce Tie-Up To Help Patients Save On Their Medical Bills

Jan 18, 2022 by Gouri 0 Comments #healthcare, #healthcare savings card, #NU Hospitals, #Prasanna Venkatesh, #Shivmoga, #Swasth, #YES BANK

Shivmoga 17 Jan 22, Affordplan Swasth and NU Hospitals have announced their collaboration on a healthcare savings card to make NU hospital services accessible for more patient families. The Affordplan Swasth card offers customers complete access to all the hospital services at NU Hospitals with financial benefits and a full range of healthcare financing options for their entire family. The card can be used easily at all branches of NU including Bangalore, Shivamogga, and Ambur.

Affordplan Swasth is a YES BANK prepaid card with a digital wallet that enables OPD (Outpatient Department) services, lab tests, purchase of medicines and goal-based EMI savings for all IPD (Inpatient Department) treatments. Equipped with a chip-enabled card, customers will also enjoy additional benefits in the form of instant cashback, exclusive hospital offers and exclusive discounts on preferred brands through the Affordplan Swasth partner tie-ups. Affordplan Swasth has already partnered with many hospitals in South India, delivering financial benefits to patients by lowering their medical expenses through their platform.

Aditya Sharma, CEO, Affordplan said, “We are proud to associate with the prestigious NU Hospitals in Karnataka. NU Hospitals have the ability to service a range of patients while keeping recovery and rehabilitation at the centre. With the emergence of the Omicron variant, we hope to extend quality patient care, through our partnership, and enable access to healthcare financing and cost savings faster and more effectively.”

Dr. Prasanna Venkatesh, Sr. Consultant Paediatric Urologist & Managing Director at NU Hospitals said “Affordplan is truly about empowering patients to take control of their healthcare financial planning. With this valuable partnership, we move forward towards healthier, happier patient care.”

Affordplan has partnered with hundreds of hospitals across 15 cities, having touched more than 5,00,000 patient lives through their product. They already have a strong hospital network footprint in Delhi/NCR, Bangalore, Jaipur. Mumbai, and Kolkata markets and are expanding aggressively in South India. As of now, they have active collaborations with 80+ hospitals in India.

About Affordplan
Launched in 2015, Affordplan is a first-of-its-kind fintech platform, which is at the intersection of finance, healthcare, and technology. They’ve partnered with hundreds of hospitals across 15 cities, having touched more than 5,00,000 patient lives through their product. Swasth – their current innovation is a healthcare savings card launched in collaboration with YES BANK, that can be used across OPD, IPD, lab, and pharmacy services. Affordplan Swasth offers a full stack of financial services for healthcare including an OPD wallet, IPD savings, medical loans, and insurance.

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Year End Quotes from Healthcare, Telemedicine, Medtech & Pharma Industry

Dec 30, 2021 by Gouri 0 Comments #Aashish Chaudhry, #Ashok Patel, #H S Chhabra, #healthcare, #Medtech, #Nikkhil K Masurkar, #Pharma Industry, #Telemedicine, #Vikram Thaploo, #Year End Quotes

Mr. Vikram Thaploo, CEO, Apollo Telehealth (largest and oldest multi-speciality telemedicine network in the world. A unit of Apollo Hospitals Group,)

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in massive disruptions across different industries and the healthcare industry has definitely been hit hard. But thankfully, the healthcare industry effectively managed the outbreak owing to full support from the central and state governments. Although there has been slow adaptation of digital tools in the healthcare industry, everything changed with the outbreak of the pandemic. The effect of healthcare technology and digital solutions was felt in many different ways than we could have expected. During the lockdown, both the patients and the healthcare practitioners realized the importance of digitisation. The pandemic has almost entirely changed how the healthcare industry in India operates. With telehealth, hospitals are now also concerned about reaching patients online, how to deliver and protect patient information. Telemedicine and remote patient monitoring are being increasingly adopted by service providers to virtually manage patients, predict and prevent illnesses, and improve clinical outcomes. There’s been almost an 80 per cent rise in consumption of digital healthcare services after COVID-19. Digital technologies like extended reality, cloud systems, big data, and artificial intelligence are taking the center stage to enhance user- experience and increase process efficiency. These technologies have accelerated digital Health, remote patient monitoring and timely clinical protocols. In the coming years too, digital health applications & therapeutics, personal health wearables, and AI, NLP(neural language processing), robotics process automation or the RPA-enabled process accelerators in clinical prediction, operational transformation and compliance improvement will further drive and shape the future of healthcare.

Mr. Nikkhil K Masurkar, Executive Director, Entod Pharmaceutical (specializes in Ophthalmology, Dermatology and ENT)

The healthcare market can increase three-fold to Rs. 8.6 trillion (US$ 133.44 billion) by 2022. In 2020, in a very short period, Covid-19 became an unparalleled disruption to every area of the healthcare industry. The overall response to the pandemic witnessed both the private and government sector working in tandem. The private Indian healthcare players rose to the occasion and have been providing all the support that the government needs, such as testing, isolation beds for treatment, medical staff and equipment at government COVID-19 hospitals and home healthcare. The healthcare industry, along with the central and state governments, undertook a robust response plan to tackle the pandemic by setting up dedicated COVID-19 hospitals, isolation centers and tech-enabled mapping of resources. Despite initial hiccups, the healthcare system in India managed to withstand the pandemic. The different efforts in manufacturing of medical equipment, disposables, drugs and the most recent vaccine efforts made by India has placed us as a global leader. Primary healthcare has become accessible to the needy and poor through digital interventions. Even in areas like clinical trials, there is less intervention in terms of human repetitive reviews due to use of technological tools like Artificial Intelligence (AI). The Indian healthcare sector is diversifying and opportunities are emerging in every segment, be it providers, payers or medical technology. With growing competition, organizations are cognisant of new challenges and are looking to explore the latest business dynamics and trends impacting their segment. India is full of opportunities for players in the medical devices industry. The country has also become one of the leading destinations for high-end diagnostic services with tremendous capital investment for advanced diagnostic facilities, thus catering to a greater proportion of population. The country’s competitive advantage lies in the increased success rate of Indian companies in getting Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) approvals. India also offers vast opportunities in R&D as well as medical tourism. After the pandemic, governments and organizations are more focused towards building digital infrastructure and preventive healthcare which will surely pave the way to a brighter future for the healthcare industry in the years to come. ENTOD has grown by 45% year on year (YOY) in the Ophthalmic and Otological market as per the IQVIA MAT Nov 21 data. We have also gained the maximum market share 0.93% in this segment during this period. We expect to maintain the same growth in the next financial year too due to the momentum generated in the market and the launch of our new divisions, new innovative products and proposed increased field force numbers.

Mr. Ashok Patel, Founder and CEO, max Ventilator

Mr. Ashok Patel, CEO and Founder, Max Ventilator(India’s leading ventilator manufacturer)

Doctors say that the pandemic will always be there till at least 6 years. So all the businesses are prepared to deal with it. Even as Covid-19 has led to the rise of diagnostics and equipment along with an impressive rise in virtual and homecare-driven device segments, there has been an increased emphasis on making low-cost lifesaving devices such as ventilators and oxygen concentrators. Speaking especially of ventilators, from now onwards, the rule of 4 beds per ventilator will become more of a reality. With telemedicine and app-based online pharmacies becoming more of a constant surrounding our daily lives spurring innovations in related devices and equipment, the coming year will also see more action in big data, AI and machine learning-based disease prediction technologies, apart from a push to more sophisticated surgical devices meant for a range of conditions such as neurological, cardio-vascular, oncological, orthopedic or musculosketal conditions. However I must add that for AI-based ventilators to become a reality, more time would be needed. While make-in-India has gained momentum with the view to become more self-reliant, the Chinese products have received a setback. This means that quality will determine the entry of new products and more rigorous quality checks will increasingly become a norm. The coming year will also see major investment and focus on medical device components and parts in the country. At the same time, given the surging omicron cases outside India and a repeat of the same not totally being out of question in India, Covid-related devices and equipment will continue to remain a focus of attention of manufacturers in the country in the coming year.

Dr H S Chhabra, Director, Indian Spinal Injuries Centre

“The year 2021 was a challenging one for India’s health sector, as the lethal second wave of coronavirus struck. As a result, an unprecedented number of people lost their lives and there was unparalleled suffering for countless others. It did, however, serve as a valuable lesson for the entire healthcare industry, leading to the resurrection and upgrading of health infrastructure in both the public and private sectors. We not only have a completely functional oxygen plant but are also now fully equipped to face new challenges, such as Omicron, with a team of experienced doctors and paramedical staff. As we approach 2022, I strongly advise everyone to take both the doses of the vaccine, if already not taken. Also, continue to observe social distancing measures, wear masks, practise hand hygiene and adhere to all the guidelines issued by the Indian government.”

Dr Aashish Chaudhry, Managing Director, Aakash Healthcare, Dwarka

“Aakash Healthcare is ready for 2022, with a solid infrastructure in place to help counteract the possibility of Covid’s third wave. Since last year, the hospital has been working in close collaboration with the government to provide critical care to COVID-19 patients in the pandemic, and has earned the reputation of being one of the most sought-after centres for personalized care during COVID times. As the New Year approaches, we hope to complete the trials for the children’s Covid vaccine. As a part of our overall development and expansion plans, we will establish a World Class Bone and Joint program/hospital in Gurgaon by next year. The new venture will serve as an Orthopedics, Joint Replacement, and Spine Hospital. In addition, we intend to open a new Cancer Hospital in Dwarka. which will provide comprehensive cancer care including Radiation and BMT (Bone Marrow Transplant).
We are almost about to launch our State of the art Liver Transplant Program at our existing Dwarka Hospital, Multiple clinics as well as Super Speciality Hospitals are about to crop up in North India. A couple of our international projects are also in the pipe line for 2022.”

business

Year End Wrap and 2022 Expectations from Brands in India – Healthcare, Biotech, HR & Lifestyle

Dec 24, 2021 by Gouri 0 Comments #Biotech, #Brands in India -, #healthcare, #HR, #Lifestyle, #Neha Bagaria, #Rahul Dugar, #Rahul Kumar, #Surendra K Chikara., #Year End Wrap

Mr. Rahul Kumar, Co-Founder- Vital– An Insurtech Platform

Health insurance industry trend in 2021:

2021 has acted as a catalyst for the health insurance industry, adding new perspectives to the sector and increasing the demand amongst consumers. An increased fusion with technology has also led to the transformation of traditional health insurance services.

Responding to the growing demand from people, many private health insurance players have digitized their operations while a whole set of new-age insuretech players have also popped onto the scene. This has enabled the industry to reach a larger customer base and also drastically reduce the response and turnaround time for all the services-related processes, including claims.

There has been a greater focus on customer convenience, thanks to all the physical distancing norms and increased digital consumption on the part of the customers. We have also witnessed an increased awareness and ask for personalized benefits and services, creating the need for a product like ours which addresses every individual’s health and financial needs differently. The importance of tracking a user’s health, both from a business as well as a consumer point of view, has exponentially grown as well to help drive these value-added services.

Expectations from 2022

Health profiling and digitization have been two revolutionary changes in the insurance industry. Technological advancements are only going to propel this further in 2022. Insurance companies are using newer technology like data science, artificial intelligence to fast track their services and offer customized products for the consumer. Consumers are now aware of the ever-growing medical inflation and are on the lookout for affordable healthcare but have no desire to compromise quality or coverage.

Higher and comprehensive health coverage, both hospitalization and otherwise, is going to start taking the spotlight again – thanks to the advent of the new Omicron variant and a third wave apparently looming on the horizon. We are expecting the demand for health insurance to go up amongst both individuals and corporates. Insurance companies have already started focusing on smaller startups and SMEs to offer affordable group health covers, which has incidentally become a key part of the employee experience. Personalization and wellness are already starting to take a centre stage here as well.

On the consumer side, millennials and Gen Z are now aware of the reality of healthcare expenses which would further drive up the demand for health insurance. Add to that the fact that they are also aware of their personal healthcare needs, they will be on the lookout for personalized and holistic health covers like ours which keeps them prepared for both hospitalization and regular healthcare expenses.

Ms. Neha Bagaria, Founder & CEO, JobsForHer

2021 was a recovery period for working women.

Those who were forced to quit their jobs due to the pandemic took charge and made efforts to get back to the workforce by upskilling and keeping up-to-date with current technologies. JobsForHer recorded a three-fold increase in the number of job postings in 2021 from 2020.

Work from home roles has had a positive impact on the working women graph. JobsForHer recorded a more than 50% rise in the number of job postings for wfh roles. WFH also opened up vast opportunities for women from tier 2 and tier 3 cities to pursue their careers from their hometowns.

The IT industry really outshined this year and got serious about its diversity and inclusion goals. Almost 50% of the job postings on the JobsForHer platform were from the IT industry. And at the same time, women in tech users also went up by 21% in 2021.

With an aim to bring more women into tech, every month, 101 women receive 100% scholarships through the HerTech Academy, an initiative sponsored by JobsForHer Foundation.

According to a JobsForHer report, 48% of Indian companies formed special initiatives to bring women back into the workforce. Amazon AWS, Maersk, Airbus, Myntra, Google, GSK, Morgan Stanley, Thoughtworks Vapasi, TVS Motor are a few of the global companies that partnered with JobsForHer in 2021 with their returnee initiatives to encourage and accelerate women’s careers back on track with advanced tech jobs.

With work from home becoming a norm, we’re looking forward to more and more women from across the country updating their resumes and getting the opportunities to keep up with the changing trends in organisations.

Dr. Surendra K Chikara. Founder & CEO, Bione

The future outlook for D2C genetic tests and microbiome tests is certainly very bright. The human microbiome market is projected to reach USD 1,598 million by 2028 from USD 894 million in 2025, at a CAGR of 21.3% from 2025 to 2028. The world’s consumer genetic testing market was worth USD 70m in 2015 and is expected to rise to $340m (£261m) by 2022. It’s expanded beyond the ancestry sector and into beauty, health and fitness. In the Indian market, awareness is still quite minimal and this needs to be ramped up. But there is a lot of coverage now about the close connection between gut health and overall health and how DNA testing can help recognize the risk of chronic disease.

Rahul Dugar – Co-Founder, Director, Arte’Venue

With the real estate sector returning to its normal state, the home décor and interior décor industry is also gaining a major push. As people buy new homes post the pandemic, they have a renewed interest in decorating their living spaces in a unique way and do not want to compromise on the quality.

According to a report published by researchandmarkets.com, The global market for online home decor is estimated at $98.4 billion in 2020 amid COVID-19 and is projected to a revised rise of $348.3 billion by 2027.

With offline offices resuming and many people relocating to a new city for work, demand for the home décor segment will further grow as people buy more homes. Also, hybrid work culture will continue to stay for some time which will again increase interest among people for home decors like lamps, wall art, artwork, lighting, furniture etc. To create a vibrant workspace for the employee’s many organizations are also investing in artefacts related to interior décor. It is expected that there will be a surge in demand from corporates as well as most of them are resuming offline operations from January or February in 2022.

Tag: healthcare

Mr. Vikram Thaploo, CEO, Apollo Telehealth (largest and oldest multi-speciality telemedicine network in the world. A unit of Apollo Hospitals Group,)

Mr. Nikkhil K Masurkar, Executive Director, Entod Pharmaceutical (specializes in Ophthalmology, Dermatology and ENT)

Mr. Ashok Patel, CEO and Founder, Max Ventilator(India’s leading ventilator manufacturer)

Dr H S Chhabra, Director, Indian Spinal Injuries Centre

Dr Aashish Chaudhry, Managing Director, Aakash Healthcare, Dwarka