Graticare taps tech for better healthcare
It is working towards increased reach through innovative go-to-market – telemedicine, remote monitoring, wellness apps, faster and better disease detection – by leveraging AI, VR, IoT and increased precision – through data science, machine learning, laying the groundwork for precision medicine
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Betting big on growing adoption of technology and digitisation
Kolkata: Kolkata-based healthcare startup Graticare Pvt Ltd is betting big on growing adoption of technology and digitisation in healthcare infrastructure. The company, floated by a group of young engineering graduates and persons with long exposure to pharmaceuticals and healthcare industry, is investing heavily into building technological backbone, to take it to the next level.
According to a recent UN report, urban areas constitute nearly 75 per cent of India's healthcare infrastructure, accessible to approximately 27 per cent of the population, reflecting a significant gap in rural areas' infrastructure, especially the lack of primary healthcare facilities.
Another recent Human Development Report, on its parts, suggests that India has only five beds per 10,000 Indians, ranking it 155th out of 167 countries on bed availability. It also has just 8.6 doctors per 10,000 people, further signalling the dearth of adequate healthcare infrastructure.
"Only technology can be a significant enabler in bridging the gap in the healthcare infrastructure. And that's exactly what we are trying to do," said Subrata Ganguly, chief executive officer of Graticare Pvt Ltd.
The company, at present, is working towards increased reach through innovative go-to-market – telemedicine, remote monitoring, wellness apps, faster and better disease detection – by leveraging AI, VR, IoT and increased precision – through data science, machine learning, laying the groundwork for precision medicine.
Biplab Sengupta, president, Graticare, who is also the Managing Director of Arica Diagnostic Pvt Ltd, said, "There should be increased focus on shifting the mindset of citizens from curative to preventive healthcare. We are working towards that goal. For instance, AI is being widely used to make diagnostic imaging like X-rays and MRIs affordable and accessible. Our efforts promise to reduce the burden on the existing minuscule number of radiologists in the country and widening radiology solutions' reach." Ganguly pointed out that their solutions would help one get rid of the hassles of hiring a radiologist, while keeping a panel of them at an affordable price. Mind you that the usage of old methods of working with the physical plate is error-prone, especially when deep inspection and measurement are required. Their solution will also keep records of all the patients and their reports for future reference in case of disputes etc.
Technology may never replace physicians entirely but will surely bring efficiency which is needed in an underpenetrated country like India. And the integration of technology in healthcare will enable the creation of new business models, Ganguly and Sengupta hoped.
