Women Leaders who are Revolutionizing the Healthcare Realm of India

By: WE STAFF | Monday, 2 November 2020

India is now witnessing growth in each and every sector and the main reason behind it is not just the introduction of technology, industry 4.0, or support and schemes from the government. But, the women community of India is now participating in every space, competing and even doing better compared to their male counterparts, and accept it or not this is making a huge difference in the growth of the country. Though there are many spaces in which women are excelling in the current era, in this article we will concentrate on one of the most usual yet prominent sectors of India – the healthcare sector.

Healthcare has become one of India’s largest sectors both in terms of revenue & employment, with the industry growing at a tremendous pace owing to its strengthening coverage. A study by Deloitte indicates the size of the industry will reach $280 billion by 2020. Digital healthcare is fast growing in the country as numerous startup companies are focusing on medical care, treatment plans, diagnosis, and delivery of quality services, and at the heart of this healthcare, revolution are a number of women leader who is striving hard to make the change they wish to see. As founders of path-breaking healthcare startups and other initiatives, they are tapping unserved niches through innovation in the diagnostic and enterprise areas, providing efficient delivery solutions for all. Innovative technologies, along with digital initiatives, availability of internet-based resources and digitalization, is fast evolving as significant general-purpose technology. Today, the amalgamation of these technologies are turning things into reality in the healthcare domain, which used to be a theory a few decades ago. But, above that, the way women leaders are leveraging these technologies to make a shift in society is a thing that cannot be ignored. Let’s have a look at some of the bright minds, their ideas and how they are steering the society into a better place.

Asha Satapathy: She is the Co-Founder of DocEngage; a platform that is designed to standardize healthcare procedures for clinics and medical centers and grants users access to inventories across the country. It allows medical professions to effectively manage resources. The company utilizes a comprehensive healthcare software suite to improve the patient experience. The company mainly serves the Indian people and its headquarters are based in Bangalore, India. Asha was a state-level basketball player at school & grown-up as Sr. Technical Architect at Sun, moved to CGI, before founding DocEngage. Today, Asha is excelling at her work through her venture DocEngage that is acting as a one-stop solution for single or multi-speciality hospitals, clinics & startups; HIPAA, 100+ Integrations, advanced tech, API & Interoperability, standards & compliances.

Geetha Manjunatha and Nidhi Mathur: Geetha is the Founder & CEO and Nidhi is the Co-Founder of Niramai. These two bright minds decided to work on something that can help the women community with a severe topic such as breast cancer. With the alarming rise in breast cancer cases in India, the need for a number of preventive solutions for early detection and cure becomes paramount. One out of every two women diagnosed with breast cancer in India fails to make it. What’s more, only three percent go for regular breast health checkups in the absence of a non-invasive method of examination. A lot of the problems with respect to cancer can be solved only if there are early awareness and detection.  Looking at this grave situation Geetha & Nidhi founded Niramai, a ‘Non-Invasive Risk Assessment with Machine Intelligence’ solution for early detection of breast cancer that is safe, non-touch, radiation-free, and low-cost. The method of breast cancer screening can detect tumours five times smaller than what clinical examination can detect. Considering it is less expensive and does not require heavy equipment, this solution is ideal for smaller towns where affordable healthcare is still a rarity.

Madhu Khandelwal Gupta: She is the Founder of Mera Medicare. It is a digital portal that sensitizes people to purchase generic medications as a conventional treatment method. The company relies on online technology to educate people on the need to conduct primary research before being admitted to any hospital. Madhu is a geek with a tremendous interest in high-tech and internet industry. Apart from being the Founder and CTO of Mera Medicare, Madhu founded a series of other Start-ups. At present, Mera Medicare has close to 5000 registered patients and more than 250 pharmacies in its network. After deliberating and researching various aspects of running an e-Commerce business in the pharmaceutical industry, Madhu started up in July 2014. For every medicine, customers can buy either branded or generic versions. While branded medicines cost more, generic medicines are cheap in comparison with the same benefits. The company has its presence in Delhi, Noida, Gurgaon and Bangalore.

Neerja Birla: She is the Founder & Chairperson of Mpower, an organization that works towards tackling mental health issues among the youth. When compared to developed nations, India suffers from a lack of early screening/diagnosis system when it comes to mental illness. India also has the issue related to stigma, and many people hesitate to discuss about mental illness due to this reason. The aim of Mpower is to remove the stigma, the primary roadblock to mental wellness. The Movement works to improve awareness and understanding of mental health conditions through workshops at schools, colleges, and corporates. The Centre offers diagnostics, treatment, and counselling for psychiatric conditions such as anxiety, depression, and other mood disorders. The Mpower Foundation aims at making mental healthcare services accessible to members of economically-backwards families so that the cost barrier is not a deterrent to quality medical care. Through numerous initiatives and collaborations with various organisations, Neerja Birla endeavours to reach out to various factions of society to empower them to lead fulfilling and enriched lives. She is a strong advocate in the field of education. Her endless love for children is reflected in her dedication to her role as the Chairperson of The Aditya Birla World Academy, which is a pioneering educational institute.

Sunita Maheshwari: She is the Co-Founder of Teleradiology Solutions; a healthcare outsourcing company. It provides patients with advanced diagnostic imaging services and the company relies on artificial intelligence to improve patient experience and 3D imaging services. Sunita is a paediatric cardiologist, originally from Hyderabad, where she did MBBS at Osmania University, following which she did post-graduation in gynaecology at AIIMS. Sunita then went on to do Pediatric Cardiology at Yale University. Together with her husband, Arjun Kalyanpur, Sunita returned to India in 1999. An important chapter in India’s healthcare technology was to begin. In 2009, Dr. Sunita was ranked among the top 20 women achievers in the healthcare sector. The company provides medical services throughout the world and is based in Bengaluru, India with branches in the US.

Conclusion

The above mentioned bright minds are doing their best to make a huge change in the society, however, there are more dedicated leaders out there. These women entrepreneurs are setting examples in society, and other women who are dedicated towards their own goals must get the motivation from them. The addition of more and more such enthusiastic leaders will not just help the women community of India but will lead the nation to a great height.