Preventive healthcare is gradually becoming the mantra in Indian healthcare industry, says Amol Naikawadi, Joint Managing Director of Indus Health Plus while speaking to Dhirendra Pratap Singh on the preventive healthcare industry trends, technologies and more

Please tell us about Indus Health Plus operations in India.

Headquartered in Pune, Indus Health Plus has presence in a number of regions including Maharashtra, Delhi, Bhilai and Goa. Indus has offices in Mumbai, Delhi, Nagpur, Nasik and Goa and it has tie-ups with reputed delivery partners that are spread all over Maharashtra.

We have reached out to more than 2,70,000 clients across the country during the operation period of almost 11 years and currently we are present in 14 cities with 36 delivery partners. As more and more people are waking up to the concept of preventive healthcare with us, our association with reputed medical establishments across the country is reaching out to many.

What are the services that you are currently offering?

Our services are our products ” preventive healthcare packages and Healthfriend card. Preventive healthcare packages include Essential Care Health Checkup Package (EsCP); Early Care Health Checkup Package (ECP); Exclusive Health Checkup Package (EHC); Exclusive and Comprehensive Health Checkup Package (ECHC). A part of our drive is to make quality healthcare accessible, available and affordable to all. Our Healthfriend cards enable Indusites (those associated with Indus Plus) and their families to access quality medical treatment at highly discounted rates.

What are your views on advances in the field of preventive healthcare over the last few decades? Which technologies have mostly benefited this sector?

The Indian healthcare industry, unlike other industries, stands untouched by recession. There has been a steady growth in this sector, revenues from the healthcare sector account for 5.2 percent of the GDP, making it the third fastest growing sector in India. Additionally, the preventive healthcare market is growing at the rate of 25 percent per annum.

According to the WHO, India is increasingly becoming the capital for various diseases like cancer, heart and various other lifestyle diseases. A CII report indicates that 8 percent of households are pushed below the poverty line each year due to health expenditure. Technopak reports indicate that 40 percent of the low and middle income population borrow money or sell assets to pay for hospitalisation. Most of these unexpected expenses are medical expenses, due to which many people bankrupt. Hence, it is time for one and all to wake up to the concept of preventive healthcare. Technologies such as CT Angiogram and other non invasive forms of testing such as 2D Echo Cardiogram have been great use in the field of preventive healthcare. We incorporate the latest available technology, such as CT Angiogram, as soon as they are launched in the market to ensure higher customer satisfaction through unparalleled quality.

What are the key equipments and technologies installed at your centres?

Indus delivers quality healthcare through trusted delivery partners across 36 centres. According to Time magazine, cardiac CT scan is the most comprehensive scan available for the heart. We have evolved from the basic preventive health packages to the high-end packages. This scan involves a huge sum of money but Indus offers this service along with a bouquet of other services at a very nominal rate. Indus believes in adding value for consumers, as we know that in India almost 80 percent healthcare expenses are paid out of pocket. We have invested and developed ERP software, in order to give a better experience to our clients. At Indus, in a bid to provide our clients with the packages, we work in close conjunction with our delivery partners.

How do you foresee the transformation in healthcare delivery through preventive health checks?

A recent ICRA report emphasises the role of prevention, especially in battling chronic diseases rampant in India, and so there is an immense scope of work. There is a need for an awakening in the thought process of Indians. As prevention becomes a culture in India, the impact will be phenomenal. Planned surgeries can be undertaken instead of last minute critical operations. The mortality rate due to lifestyle diseases can also be minimised. Overall, the losses can be reduced and it would help in the effective use of Indias GDP. Hence preventive healthcare is the need of the hour and there is tremendous scope of the same in India as well as at the global level.

What is your perspective on the preventive healthcare check-ups market in India?

The Indian healthcare industry, unlike other industries, stands untouched by recession. The preventive healthcare market is growing at a rate of 25 percent annually. As awareness about the need and importance of preventive healthcare grows amongst the middle class segment, our sector is bound to grow further.

What has been your marketing and business strategy?

The preventive healthcare industry, on the whole, relies strongly on word of mouth publicity. As a brand, we want to expose as much of the society to preventive health solutions and their benefits as possible. Our strategy involves initially exposing the society to this type of solution and then increasing the share of voice within the societies we are present, within the discussions on health and within the media.

Our marketing plan involves a 360 degree approach which involves public relations, advertising, online, as well as non media events to reach the society directly. We have been concentrating on making sure all this communication is properly integrated to make sure our entire target market understands the same message regardless of the media they consumed the message from. We use different marketing channels like exhibitions, seminars etc to reach out to the audience.

What do you predict will happen within preventive healthcare in the next 5-10 years in India? What are your future plans?

The Indian preventive healthcare market is growing at a tremendous rate, though it is still a relatively new concept for most Indians. We foresee strong demand for hospital services in tier-II and tier-III cities and thus have a targeted effort to reach out to these customers. Indus Health Plus is the only company in India to have such an extensive network of preventive healthcare delivery partners across most tier-II and tier-III cities across Maharashtra as well as pan India.

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