Summary

Program goals

In Mexico, people from the base of the pyramid lack of access to quality and affordable mental health services. Public hospitals' infrastructure is limited, so people cannot receive a timely treatment. For example, a person has to wait, on average, more than two months to receive psychiatric consultation, even if the he or she is in a critical situation. The problem with private hospitals and clinics is that they charge relatively high prices to treat mental health diseases, which are unaffordable for the base of the pyramid.

We provide affordable and professional mental health services for the underserved population by adopting a business model that significantly reduces costs while maintaining a high-quality service.

Key program components

We reduce costs in three ways. First, we base our treatments in the latest discoveries in neurosciences. The latter allows us to reduce and in some cases even avoid the hospitalization time for every patient--hospitalization is the most expensive component of most psychiatric treatments. Second, we employ technology-based solutions, such as video calls, phone calls and instant messages, to avoid in-person consultations. These solutions save transportation costs to our customers and decrease the capital and operation costs we have to incur (and then charge to the patients). Third, we work as direct distributors of two major pharmaceutical companies. Such condition allows us to offer all the medications our patients need at the lowest price of the market, and still make a profit.

We also contribute to improving access to mental health in three indirect ways. First, we develop digital-neuropsychological tests that can be used by almost any person to identify if he or she has symptoms of certain mental diseases. For example, we are working with a public university to offer a free software to students so they can identify if they are at high risk of developing schizophrenia. Second, we offer free digital manuals and research studies (written in plain language) to help our patients and their families take educated decisions on how to deal with mental diseases. Third, we have a cross-subsidy tariff schedule that allows us to reduce the price low-income people pay for our services.