Medybiz, India's first Internet and telephone health services company, has launched Medycard, the 'first of its kind' personalised health card, which also provides easy access to all Medybiz services like door delivery of medicines, administration of diagnostic tests at home and arranging appointments with leading doctors in the city.

The card is being launched at a special introductory price of Rs 500 in six cities - Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad and Mumbai. The card can be availed by calling the 24-hour Medybiz call centre (96284-96222) or by logging on to www.medybiz.com.

Medycard is a credit card-sized plastic card that contains personal and medical information needed most in a critical medical setting. Users can carry the card in their purse/ wallet. In times of an emergency, it helps users to provide doctors, instant access to their concise medical history, current medications, allergies, and other information necessary for medical treatment decisions.

Highlighting the rationale behind the launch, Partha Pratim Roy, Director-Marketing says, "Our aim is to ensure that every customer has control over his/her health, especially in times of emergencies. In an emergency/ accident where the victim is not in a position to communicate, the information passers-by or doctors can get, is restricted to the person's address and name. Medycard helps supply time critical information, which can help medical personnel make the right diagnosis and offer right treatments.

Suryanaryanan, CEO of Medybiz adds, " Medycard takes away the worries as all the vital information is printed on the card."

The card is priced at Rs 500. The entire price charged for the card is immediately returned back to the cardholder through discounts and offers on various health products and services of their choice. With Medycard, users will be able to get easy access to all Medybiz services and products besides providing special benefits such as free accident risk insurance worth Rs 1 lakh.

The card will also carry the user's Medybiz registration number, which can be used to access all Medybiz products and services and avail special discounts. Cardholders can avail Rs 200 on purchases made at Medyshop, the online store of Medybiz. They can also avail a discount of Rs 300 on a Master Health Check-up as well as 10-15 per cent discounts on a variety of other health services in leading hospitals, nursing homes and diagnostic centres. Currently, Medycard is valid in over 600 medical institutions like Manipal Hospital, Apollo and Specialty Ranbaxy.

The Medycard is useful to even those who is already a part of another health programme. If the Medycard holder is a beneficiary of a company sponsored health programme; he can have the benefits being offered by the company by another 10-15 per cent using Medycard.

Medycard has an in-built loyalty programme. After 12 months of using Medyshop, the 24-hour chemist shop, the cardholder will be entitled to receive the 13th month free of charge (the average of the purchases made during the 12 months).

Medybiz, set up in January 2000, is India's first web enabled health service company with five unique services: Medyshop, an online chemist that delivers medicines to consumers at home within 24 hours. Medylab offers diagnostic and pathological testing facilities at home such as blood sugar and lipid profile check-up, including mobile X-ray and ultra sonogram. Medycall offers 24-hour medical services by registered medical practitioners. Medicab offers medical taxi and ambulance service. Finally, it offers Medyappoint, a facility that allows a patient to make appointments with doctors and specialists online.