Diagnostics tests at nominal costs

Idea Cellular launches healthcube initiative to make proactive healthcare accessible to rural areas and labour migrants

Providing healthcare in rural areas is a big challenge that can be faced better with the use of technology. The Healthcube initiative is a good example of this: it uses a blend of digital technology and village social entrepreneurship to make preventive healthcare accessible to communities that need it the most. Based on mobile technology, Healthcube makes 32 diagnostic tests – including tests for malaria, blood pressure and blood sugar – readily available to rural households and migrant labourers at a very nominal cost.

The Healthcube initiative is supported by Vodafone Idea, an Aditya Birla Group company, and the Aditya Birla Centre for Community Initiatives and Rural Development. An army of village social entrepreneurs has been created which goes from door-to-door for health screening in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and other states. Their work is facilitated with Healthcube, which, in addition to the tests it offers, also has additional benefits to offer. All medical records are saved locally on the platform and whenever internet is available, they are pushed to the cloud for automated data analysis. Thus, doctor and patient can access the test reports anywhere, anytime.

The Healthcube project has been rolled out across 9 states and 150 locations, and the intent is to take it further and reach out to more communities.