Project Name: Wireless Health Incident Monitoring System (WHIMS)
Organisation: iKure Techsoft (P) Ltd
Project Location & Coverage Area: Kharagpur (West Bengal); & Odisha
Project URL: www.ikuretechsoft.com
Area of intervention: Health
Rural patient who usually travel large distances to consult specialists, do waste their time traveling, or waiting in the queue. With the aim to deliver quality health care at the grassroots, iKure developed proprietary cloud-based software called, Wireless Health Incident Monitoring System (WHIMS) that allows rural doctors to collaborate and seek support from a specialist working at a different location by sharing a patient’s health profile and symptoms.
Given the fact that not all rural areas have internet access, WHIMS has been designed to be accessed through tablets and smartphones using mobile network (2G/3G). The cloud-based application is best suited for a Hub-and-Spoke model implementation because of its scalability. Thus, a large number of rural patients can be served using the network. They have also integrated basic medical equipment (Sphygmomanometer, ECG, Glucometer, Phonocardiogram etc.) into the WHIMS application, so data is seamlessly captured without human intervention. WHIMS does not require very high bandwidth for data transfer and can
work in areas where supply of electricity is erratic. WHIMS is equipped with features like patient management, medical information, inventory management, etc. The monitoring device is enabled with videoconferencing applications that help in storing patient’s medical history and record consultations for future reference.
Reach & Road Ahead
Currently, iKure’s business model has two revenue streams: fees from doctor consultation and diagnostic services. iKure business model is also based on making affordable, quality healthcare accessible to rural India by establishing community based brick-and-mortar health centres, backed by remote monitoring technology and each RHC cost 1/10th of the telemedicine set up cost (INR 80-100 cost per visit vs. INR 120-INR150 by the nearest providers for consultation). The project has now 28 RHCs and hubs in Birbhum and Midnapore districts of West Bengal with certified doctors, integrated biometric equipment and diagnostics, medicine and pre and post-surgery consultation. The company is also planning to expand in Orissa, Bihar, Assam, and eastern India with
an additional 100 RHCs.