Bangalore-based Anyuta Medinet Limited has submitted a proposal to the Karnataka government for implementing a novel health care service which networks medical facilities around the State to help patients access cheap and quality healthcare close to them. The scheme aims to help save lives of the ill and injured in case of an emergency.

Anyuta Medinet has requested the State government to have a joint venture participation in the health care scheme, which would allow a wider reach of the city and its surrounding areas, including the 27 districts of the State. The scheme, which was launched two years ago, has received a tremendous response from the public and medical practitioners, as well as all nursing homes, diagnostic labs and hospitals in the city, which are networked with multispeciality clinics in each locality and linked to a well-equipped nursing home in the vicinity. The proposal, pending with the State government, when approved, will make Karnataka the first state in the country to have a fully networked health system.

Dr. N Ravindra Shetty, director Anyuta Medinet told pharmabiz.com that the main objective of the scheme was to help those who suddenly fall ill or are injured during late night hours to have access to immediate medical attention in the neighbourhood. "Our aim is to inform the people/patients that they are not alone during a crisis. The service has no intention to earn out of other's misery. It intends to encourage ethical practices among doctors."

All that a person needs to do is to register himself with Anyuta Medinet at a nominal payment fee of Rs. 100 and he will be given the list of doctors residing in his locality. Each doctor is registered to Anyuta Medinet for Rs. 100. "We have made the registration fee for both doctors and patients the same," said Dr. Shetty.

Giving details of the scheme, Dr. Shetty said that three doctors from a locality would form a Family Physician Group, which is responsible for proving comprehensive round-the-clock medical care for all Anyuta Medinet families from the area. There will be a network of Family Physicians Group, nursing homes and hospitals, which are affiliated to the Anyuta Medinet. It will facilitate any hospitalisation, investigation or surgical procedure, if necessary. "This helps us to provide standardised care and close personal attention while keeping the costs of treatment and services to the minimum.

The hospitals, nursing homes and clinics, which are registered with Anyuta Medinet are Bangalore Hospital, Mahavir Jain Hospital, Baptist Hospital, Narayana Hrudayalaya, Narayana Nethrayala, Shrushrusha Nursing Home, SJ Hospital, SB Medical Centre, Pranadevaru Nursing Home, Jayashri Nursing Home G M Healthcare, Aproova Diagnostics Medical Centre, Bharati Nursing Home, Rajmahalvilas Hospital, Cambridge Hospital, to name a few. "We have made arrangements with three of Bangalore's diagnostic labs-Medinova, Elbit Diagnostics and Speciality Ranbaxy- where our members can avail 20 percent discount for all tests," informed Dr. Shetty.

Patients registered under Anyuta Medinet are also given a toll number - 1600-44-1111 where the service is free and can be utilised during an emergency while the patient is travelling out of Bangalore.

Shortly, even the super speciality hospitals will be joining Anyuta Medinet to avoid unhealthy competition but cooperate through the network to offer the best medical attention at reasonable cost, added Dr. Shetty.

Anyuta Medinet, which is a public limited company, is registered with the Registrar of Companies and has already begun its operations in Bangalore by involving the existing clinics, nursing homes, diagnostic centres and hospitals. "The Family Physician Group is formed out of the doctors who are our representatives and the members are registered with the Family Physicians Group. The members can select any of the physicians from the Group as their main family physician. The remaining doctors in the Group will stand by in the absence of the main family physician. The panel of doctors can be accessed on telephone or cell phones at any time of the day or night.

They will undertake home visits, collect blood samples for investigation, arrange physiotherapy, X-Ray and scanning as well as attend to maternity cases when the need arises, said Dr. Shetty.

During a major illness, the main physician will fix appointments for the patients for admission to hospitals or nursing homes, blood banks and will be in touch with the specialists/hospital administration and give them an idea about how to prevent unnecessary medical expenses.

In an effort to improve the healthcare of the city, the Family Physicians Group will conduct Immunisation, health education, family planning, blood donation camps and various preventive healthcare programmes.

Currently, there are approximately 1,500 people who have registered as members to access the health care network. "People are coming in to be enrolled each day and the entire awareness on the availability of such a healthcare system is only by word-of-mouth, as the service is not a marketable commodity, pointed out Dr. Shetty.

The doctors have also signed up an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) with Anyuta for ensuring 'ethical practice' during diagnosis and treatment, said Dr. Shetty "Hopefully, this MoU will create a sense of responsibility among doctors," he added.

Anyuta is in the process of launching a 25-bed Amazon Nursing Home at Ganganagar in Bangalore where around 40 families can be brought under a postgraduate physician and given the necessary medical attention during an emergency.

Asked whether Anyuta Medinet would launch the service in any of other districts in Karnataka, Dr. Shetty said, "Right now we are moving in the direction where we could network each district beginning with Mysore, Mangalore, Davangere and Hubli to its hospitals, nursing homes, clinics and diagnostic labs. "We have been given a go ahead by a group of doctors at Mysore, Davangere and Hubli."