Center for Health Market Innovations (CHMI)

Programs

Mobile Medics Healthcare

last updated Sep 27, 2011

Overview

Implementing organization: 
Mobile Medics Healthcare LLC
Implementation Partner(s): 
Birla Institute of Technology and Science-Pilani
Legal Status: 
Private (for-profit)
Year Launched: 
2006
Stage: 
Existing/expansion stage
Income Level of Target Population: 
Bottom 20%, 20-60% (lower to lower-middle)

Funding

Primary Source of Funding: 
Out-of-pocket payments
Additional Source(s) of Funding: 
In-kind contributions, Other 3rd party (e.g. debt, equity)
Funders: 
BITS Pilani - Incubation Center

Scale

Number of Facilities Operated/Networked: 
3
Other Measures of Scale: 
To measure their progress, mobile medics aim to measure a number of metrics that would be provided for every village. Mortality Rates for all Mortality Rates for Children below 5 years Deaths during pregnancy Health Statistics and Improvement due to proactive medicine Community impact due to reduction of transmittable diseases Financial impact and savings due to better health
Summary: 

Mobile Medics Healthcare, LLC, is a socially sustainable venture aimed at providing primary healthcare to rural villages in India. Mobile Medics first rollout was done in Pilani, Rajasthan with the support of Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) Pilani, and experts from leading institutions around the world.

Program goals/rationale: 

The mission of Mobile Medics is to solve the problem of the last mile of healthcare for millions of people living in rural India by providing access to affordable healthcare services. The initiative aims to create a venture out of serving the bottom of the pyramid,that will sustain itself without relying on the charity of others. The organization believes that if they can solve this problem for India, they may be able to solve it for the world. Their main focus is on prevention, early detection and first-line treatment using globally accepted standards.

Key program components: 

Mobile Medics Healthcare LLC is a traveling healthcare service for rural India. Although a mobile clinic is not a new idea, Mobile Medics is unique in being the world’s first social venture aimed at creating a sustainable business in the private sector by providing access to high quality, and affordable medical care to rural population of Indian villages at a very low cost.

To make their model succeed, Model medic’s goal is to create the world’s largest mobile medical health care network that will bring thousands of doctors to millions of villagers around the world, and thereby preventing unnecessary pain and suffering. In addition, in this process of providing health care services, they hope to become a trusted source of information for primary health indicators and metrics.

Mobile Medics employs well qualified and trained medical professionals on a full-time/part-time basis to provide care that meets the highest standards of primary care provided in the private sector. Their service emphasis is on basic prevention and includes general health screening, vitamin supplementation, promotion of Oral Rehydration Therapy (ORT), pre-emptive testing and vaccinations. They provide curative services including physician checkups, dispensing high quality generic drugs and performing minor surgeries. Mobile Medics also provides emergency medical transportation to hospitals for patients in need of urgent care.

Operationally, every mobile unit has one doctor, nurse and driver, and travels on a set route, visiting every village twice a week. Patients walk-in and are seen by doctors for the low price of Rs. 50 ($1.25). This fees includes consultation and some basic medicines

They have put in a significant amount of technology, operational excellence, creativity and innovation into the systems to keep costs low so as to make the fees affordable and make this this whole venture sustainable.

Mobile Medics has currently retained the services of one doctor and one nurse, and started with three villages as the hubs around which the service will be launched over the next few month. Neighboring villages will be developed as spokes, from where patients would be picked up and brought to the main hubs.

Program history: 

Mobile Medics was launched in October 2006 by a group of young techies from BITS Pilani, and having won awards for this idea at leading business plan competitions around the world, they have returned to the villages around Pilani (Rajasthan) to fine-tune and test their business model.

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