BENGALURU: It’s been five years since Dr Navneeth Motreja and his wife Nithya decided to do something meaningful with their MBBS degree. Realising that many patients, especially senior citizens, find it tough to travel to a hospital and then wait in a long queue for consultation, the doctor couple decided to launch a service to examine patients at their homes.
From just one or two appointments a day to 20,000 patients in the last five years, they have come a long way, and now have a team comprising eight doctors, six nurses and three physiotherapists. They later also launched two clinics, at Halasuru and Malleswaram, that work as a reporting centre for the staff.
“We have a centre in Frazer Town for call coordination. The coordinators receive calls from patients and inform the nearest clinic. In case the doctor cannot reach their house immediately during emergency cases, the coordinators check with the hospital nearest to the patient and get an ambulance free of cost,” Motreja said.
Celebrating the fifth anniversary of their joint venture, Care on Call, this Saturday, he said, “We found that it was difficult for the elderly, bed-ridden and the sick to get dressed and drive to the hospital. So we decided to go the old-fashioned way, and carry a tool-kit to the patient’s house. Care on Call now receives over 50 appointments a day.”
The venture is also getting popular with people visiting the city. “Many visitors do not know about nearby hospitals and would prefer to get treated at their hotel room. So we also started receiving calls from hotels to consult their guests,” Motreja told CE, adding that they provide 24x7 service. “Pharmacies are closed during the night and we provide basic medication. The fee is Rs 100 for a one-hour consultation if the area is within 5km of our clinics,” he added.
The couple now aims to start three more centres in other parts of the city, and bring in two nutritionists for patients facing dietary issues. “We may also expand to other cities if this goes well. This is the best way to ensure quality and affordable healthcare,” said Nithya.