BHUBANESWAR: When 63-year-old Basanti Das of Alipingal, a remote village in Puri district had a non-healing wound on her finger, she had not imagined that it would be a sign of diabetes. However, even when she did, Das was faced with the challenge of finding the right treatment as belonging to an underserved area, even basic healthcare was a far-fetched dream for her. As a result, her glucose level remained high. That was when CureBay stepped in and got her connected with a doctor in Bhubaneswar. With the right diagnosis and medication, her glucose level normalised.
Basanti’s is just one among the many testimonies where several patients like her availed access to quality health service through CureBay. Founded by three friends, Priyadarshi Mohapatra, Shobhan Mohapatra and Sanjay Swain in 2021, this Bhubaneswar-based health-tech startup aims to make medical services accessible and affordable in remote corners of the state.
So, what inspired them to come up with the noble initiative? Founder and CEO of CureBay Priyadarshi Mohapatra said it was during the Covid-19 pandemic when they realised that a staggering 65 per cent of the country’s population grappled with lack of even basic medical service.
Moved by the urgency, the trio decided to take action and CureBay, their brainchild, came into being. Priyadarshi said the model brings together doctors, hospitals, laboratories, pharmacies and medical devices on a single technology platform. Besides, there is a physical network of e-Clinics which are medical centres established in remote areas where healthcare infrastructure is insufficient.
To maintain the company’s approach to cost-effectiveness, Priyadarshi said the initial consultation fee is a meagre `99, reducing the expenses associated with travelling to a city hospital for treatment. “Moreover, a yearly membership programme begins at around `399 where patients can avail complimentary consultations with physicians, diagnostic tests, discounted prices on medicines, as well as access to ambulance service and other facilities,” he explained.
Priyadarshi said the process includes teleconsultation where patients can connect with doctors via video chats, followed by diagnosis, health checkup and hospital admission for those in need. “We have two trained health professionals in every e-clinic who guide patients in meeting the right doctor. They also help people get prescribed medicines with the help of their riders. Curebay has trained staff to collect samples from patients’ doorsteps for diagnostic tests too,” he informed.
Narrating another challenging case of Kumudini Parida, 67, Priyadarshi said the elderly met with an accident 10 to 15 years ago in which her left leg was severely injured, so much so that it prevented her from performing daily activities with ease. When Kumudini got to know about Curebay, she visited an e-clinic in her area and the doctors after diagnosing her condition, conducted surgery. Now she has regained full functionality in her hands and legs and can perform daily activities easily.
“Presently, the platform has enlisted 50 hospitals and approximately 100 medical practitioners. Regarding selection of e-clinics’ locations, the primary criterion is the catchment area which includes sites with 50 to 100 underserved villages within a 10-km radius,” he said.
Elaborating on their future plans, Priyadarshi said their Series A1 funding round raised about `62 crore bringing the total funding to over `120 crore across three rounds. “Currently operational in Odisha and Chhattisgarh, we plan to set up 150 e-clinics in each state, next being Jharkhand,” he informed.
What it offers
Based in Bbsr, Curebay was established in 2021 to provide quality healthcare in underserved areas
Around 104 world-class e-clinics are presently operational at strategic locations in Odisha and Chhattisgarh
The company has enlisted 50 hospitals and around 100 medical practitioners