Domestic healthcare industry on the cusp of a revolution thanks to mushrooming startups

According to a 2012 World Bank report, India has only one doctor per 1,700 people. The dismal figure shows the apathy of Indian healthcare situation. While the government is trying to beef up the physical healthcare infrastructure in the country, domestic startup ecosystem is doing its bit to strengthen the digital platform.

Over the last decade, a number of startups have mushroomed in the healthcare space offering differentiated services. Practo, the most renowned startup in the segment, allows users to browse through doctor profiles, their ratings, and book appointments. It also has a proprietary practice management solution for healthcare providers to manage patient data and digital healthcare records. While Practo focuses on creating a medical ecosystem, startups such as NetMeds and 1mg are carving their niche in medicine delivery and updates. 1mg is prominently used for searching cheap alternatives of a specific salt.

Another startup Lybrate is a chat-based platform for doctors and patients to interact. The platform boasts of more than 90,000 doctors on its roll who respond to patient’s queries. Some small niche startups are focusing on personalized services such as video consultation and virtual hospital.

With domestic physical healthcare infrastructure insufficient to cater to the rapidly growing population, the startup ecosystem is helping remove some pressure from the hospitals since it caters to the patients digitally. For now, the startups are focusing on Tier 1 and 2 cities due to high internet penetration and superior digital adaptability. However, it would be imperative for the government to keep a tab on the quality of the services provided by these startups so as to avoid another Theranos debacle.