Long-term medical care, whether it be for the sick/recuperating post-surgery or the aged, is best carried out in the environs of the home, for reasons of patient-comfort, logistical convenience and economy. But to constantly monitor the condition of the patient and provide medicare at the appropriate time, the two vital requirements are professionally-competent personnel and optimal use of technology. Though nascent in India, home healthcare providers are using both these components to good use to make their mark. BusinessLine spoke to one such player, Critical Care Unified. Rajiv Mathur, a founder of the company, spoke on the industry dynamics and the way forward. Excerpts:

In India, the old and sick are taken care of by family members. Our society generally looks down upon families that seek outside help to take care of their sick and bedridden elders. So, is India ready for professional home healthcare providers?

India is eminently ready to make use of professional home healthcare services. The informal structures of support are under stress and collapsing rapidly as challenges, commitments and pace of life, compounded by disparate locations of relatives, make it difficult and stressful to provide appropriate care. While the elders are conservative in their approach of getting external help, the near and dear ones are the catalysts to bring about the change.

What are the growth prospects for the industry in India?

The growth factors are enormous. The current estimates for the home healthcare industry in India is approximately $2 billion and growing at a CAGR of 20 per cent. This, since hospital facilities are inadequate to meet the national demand. While metropolitan cities have world-class facilities, the situation in tier II and III cities is not adequate to meet the demand. More importantly, for chronic ailments, there is no necessity to continue with long stays and go through the stress of re-admissions.

With appropriate use of technology, high-quality home healthcare services can be implemented and expanded to cover a wide base of population in India.

When did you commence operations? What are your growth plans?

We commenced operations on December 1, 2016, and have been profitable from the first month onwards. We have a staff strength of over 325, which is a mix of permanent and on-demand professionals. In the next 28 months, we will hire 2,000 more people.

Our focus is providing home healthcare to critical care patients through extensive use of technology – that’s our differentiator. This venture is funded by the promoters (a group of four). For our expansion, we intend to raise funds from a variety of sources.

Our growth plans include expanding to all major cities in India, and internationally, in Africa, South-East Asia and Middle East.

How can the government give a leg-up to the home healthcare industry?

Home healthcare is becoming a significant element in the value chain of healthcare services.

The government needs to take notice of this and recognise home healthcare as an industry. While there is a lot of focus on healthcare in the recent budget, home healthcare has no mention.

To take care of the over 200-million elderly population of India, home healthcare will play an important role.

The government needs to put in place both norms and incentives to provide a fillip to this industry. Even countries like Dubai and Abu Dhabi have created norms and standards for home healthcare. The government of India needs to take a leaf from there and move rapidly.

I n the West, insurance companies cover home healthcare expenses. Not so in India now. How is this issue being addressed?

We are taking up this issue at an industry level, as well as working with insurance companies to provide cover for healthcare at home. This could be a game-changer.

What are the differences between home healthcare in India and in the West?

The home healthcare industry in India is still in its nascent stage. It had been an unorganised market thus far.

It is only now over the last three to four years that qualified, trained and professional staff is being utilised to deliver home healthcare services.

However, in the West, depending on the country, a different model is prevalent which is predicated on Senior Citizens' Homes and hospices. Basic home care services are aplenty, though, which provide assisted living in the home rather than treatment at home.

The industry is well regulated in the West, whereas, there are still no standards, norms and accreditation in India.

This needs to be implemented to ensure that standardised and quality services are delivered.

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