This is the second and concluding part of an article on how Indians are embracing health and holistic wellness.

Indians are no longer leaving their health to good or bad karma! Bolstered by knowledge and awareness, there is an emerging trend of people taking charge of their own health and of those close to them. More and more people are opting for preventive health packages and health/medical insurance is on the rise. In a market where healthcare costs are borne largely by the individual, we still have a long way to go but the early signs are encouraging in this direction.

The growth of neutraceuticals and health supplements is a pointer to people taking steps to manage their health pro-actively. Vitamin and dietary supplement retail sales have grown exponentially and are expected to reach $749.4 million by 2013. Amway’s brand Nutralite and Himalaya Herbals have many loyal followers, not only for general well-being benefits but also to manage chronic problems. Probiotics is another category that has shown good growth.

This pro-active approach has manifested in a lot of urban couples embracing new emerging concepts such as stem cell banking to protect their progeny and safeguard their future.

With disposable incomes on the rise, there is also demand for modern formats and greater expectations of luxury from healthcare delivery. We are seeing the emergence of hospital receptions and rooms that would rival any five-star hotels in terms of comforts and facilities on offer; traditional maternity homes slowly getting replaced by birthing suites with fancy ante-natal and post-natal programmes. A more informed and enlightened consumer/patient has led to the evolution of a new species called the “counsellor”. Healthcare practitioners grappling with time constraints and facing a volley of intelligent queries have now employed counsellors to handle these persistent queries and give patients an informed perspective before they are administered the treatment.

Healthcare at our doorstep Increasing affluence is leading to easier access to healthcare. Today there are doorstep services by big hospitals and companies such as Thyrocare for blood testing and other diagnostic tests. Residential enclaves have in-house clinics with doctors available on call and equipped to carry out community health checks. Patients can undertake new-age tests for problems such as sleep apnea in the comfort of their homes rather than spend a night in the hospital!

Not only at home, even corporates today are getting serious about their employees’ health. Surveys have shown that corporate India tops the global stress table and works the longest hours. Move over occupational hazards, the new parlance today is ‘facility disorders’ and it includes backaches, stress and even tuberculosis! Given that 65 per cent of organisations will see medical insurance premiums increase by 20-30 per cent, most corporates are looking at ways of assessing the ‘health culture’ within the company and designing insurance plans based on these. Two out of five Indian corporates are adding wellness activities as staff benefit and retention programmes.

However, the situation is very different when it comes to semi-urban and rural areas. Less than 25 per cent of India’s specialist physicians reside in semi-urban areas and a mere 3 per cent live in rural areas. As a result, rural areas with a population approaching 700 million continue to be deprived of proper healthcare facilities. This is of late being addressed through the use of telemedicine and teleradiology; i.e., remote diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of patients via videoconferencing or the internet. Telemedicine is a fast-emerging trend in India, supported by exponential growth in the country’s information and communications technology (ICT) sector, and plummeting telecom costs.

Technology and healthcare Like all other sectors, technology is playing a big role in shaping the healthcare revolution in the country. Our hospitals are getting equipped with sophisticated equipment and infrastructure providing access to high-quality healthcare. The Indian medical technologies market is worth $4 billion.

A good example of technological innovation is in the eye care segment where a new start-up company called Forus has developed 3Nethra, a low-cost and portable ophthalmology device which can detect all eye problems ranging from glaucoma, diabetic retina to cataract. Such technology can make a big impact in a country which has 12 million blind people, the highest in the world. The device has been installed in over 50 hospitals across the country.

The mobile revolution suggests that it won’t be too long before healthcare moves to a paperless on-demand service. We are already getting deluged with mobile applications that would help in monitoring health checks, providing timely reminders and providing reports online at the swipe of a finger!

Moving ahead, healthcare is going to become individual and personalised. Be it smart gadgets or everyday objects, we are going to be, at any given moment, surrounded by technology that would keep an eye on our health! Whether it’s the pillows we sleep on, the blankets we use, or the shoes we don, all of these will be keeping track of our vital health parameters and transmitting their status to devices! Gadgets such as Nike Plus, which track our activity, have already shown us the door to the future. And who knows, in the distant future we may ourselves be embedded with chips that monitor how our body and mind functions 24x7 that will ensure timely interventions to reduce morbidity and mortality!

Healthcare in India is going through a phase of dramatic change. Healthcare delivery in future will become increasingly customer-centric and personalised. A more pro-active and positive approach to health and pursuit of a healthy lifestyle will mean more products and services with robust health claims catering to these heightened expectations.

Healthcare providers, both traditional and new-age, distribution channels and corporates will increasingly reorient themselves to enhance the quality and service of the healthcare provided. A more ‘retail’ outlook, if you may call it. Technology will play a vital role in shaping this new healthcare ecosystem. Overall, the sector will see lots of action and renewed interest from all stakeholders concerned.

Monica Gangwani is Executive Director - India, Ipsos Healthcare

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