Have you been delaying your health check-ups because you are hard-pressed for time and cannot manage to go to a diagnostic centre? Do not worry. You may now call paramedical staff at your house or office to collect your samples. You will get the report on internet or in person, as you choose.
The initiative (www.planmyhealth.com) is the brainchild of two youth: Sandeep Raj R and Abhay Paliwal. Raj is a full-time student at Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore (IIM-B). He told DNA that they had the business idea in their minds for quite some time and thus they undertook a study to determine if it would be successful. He said they found out that there was a growing demand for health services at doorstep.
People can book for the service either telephonically or by going to the website. Its main target customers are busy professionals, senior citizens and pregnant women. The website says with their service, not only can people avoid the hassles of traveling but also get the reports without having to wait for it at a clinic/centre.
Sandeep and Paliwal have been working on the project for the past three-four months. They go to residential apartments and officers and set up health camps there. So far they have held the camps in 440 houses and found the response to be good.
Sandeep said the challenge lied in convincing people to use their service as many are skeptical about the services. He said the most important factor in healthcare industry was trust.
As it a student-run venture, office space has been provided at IIM-B. The two have spent `10,000 so far towards the project. Blood tests are done at the doorstep of the customers while for radiological tests, the company books an appointment with the labs they have partnered with.
Sandeep, who is in second year of Post-graduate Programme of IIM-B, has had to skip a few classes to give time to the project. He has chosen electives that complement their venture. As a part of one of the electives, he will be studying about the venture, problems and other related factors
