PARCHAA: Bridging the Healthcare Gap in Rural India

Indian Healthcare system made remarkable achievements in delivering world-class healthcare but still, faces significant barriers in providing healthcare to its rural population. India’s 65% population lives in rural areas and they struggle with a lot of challenges to access medical services. Parchaa aims to solve these crucial challenges with AI-powered innovations in healthcare for the country’s overall health and well-being.

Barriers to accessing healthcare in rural India:

1. Geographical barriers:

One of the major challenges is the vast geographical area of ​​rural India. Villages are minimally connected and geographically isolated from large cities with available medical facilities. The problem is also exacerbated by poor transport facilities from rural to urban areas.

2. Limited availability of healthcare professionals:

In rural areas, there is a lower density of healthcare professionals available compared to urban areas. Doctors prefer to work in urban settings which is essential for their career growth and the lack of facilities available in rural setups. This shortage significantly impacts the health of rural patients, making it difficult for them to receive timely and appropriate treatments.

3. Inadequate resources and Infrastructure:

Rural health facilities often suffer from a lack of resources and infrastructure. Many primary health centers (PHCs) and community health centers (CHCs) are poorly equipped and understaffed. They often lack basic medical supplies, medical equipment, and medicines. This shortage forces patients to travel long distances to better hospitals in the city, delaying treatment and increasing out-of-pocket costs.

4. Financial constraints:

Rural populations generally have lower incomes and a prevalence of high poverty levels restricts them from seeking essential health services. Additionally, the lack of health insurance policies forces them to pay out-of-pocket for medical expenses, which can be financially devastating and discourage people from seeking medical treatment.

5. Lack of Health Literacy and awareness:

Though the literacy rate is improving in rural India, awareness of diseases, treatment, and preventive measures are still lacking. The lack of knowledge hinders them from seeking timely care, exacerbating their medical problems.

Parchaa’s contribution in bridging the gap:

While the challenges are crucial, Parchaa’s technological and AI advancements can bridge the gap between rural and urban healthcare.

• Mobile Health application:

Being Parchaa users, the people register themselves with the Indian Digital Healthcare Ecosystem and are eligible to get digital healthcare anywhere in the country. A patient receives a unique ABHA ID (Ayushman Bharat Health Account), like having an Aadhar card.

Medical reports can be photographed and uploaded into the app, which can be securely shared with doctors in urban areas to get medical treatments. This helps in getting emergency medical care at ease from home. This reduces the commute expenses for rural people to get better healthcare.

• AI diagnostics:

AI-enabled Symptom checker empowers rural populations by getting preliminary self-diagnosis done. In the absence of doctors or health professionals, patients can answer the questions to know their illness, basic treatment, and urgency to seek medical care.

For example, if a patient is down with a fever for 2 days in a remote area where there are no health professionals available. The patient can answer a few questions and rule out the type of fever (viral, dengue, or malaria) he is suffering from.

With the AI- Symptom checker early diagnosis of serious conditions is possible and appropriate treatment can be accessed by the rural populations at the right time. This also addresses one of the major challenges of the shortage of health professionals in rural areas.

• Medical Education and Training:

Parchaa’s medical handouts available in English and Hindi summarize disease conditions, symptoms, treatments, and home remedies, educating rural people about health issues and better ways to manage their illness. Educational and training materials on emergency procedures, such as CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) and emergency protocols for various conditions, would be beneficial for rural doctors and nurses to effectively manage emergencies.

With advancing technologies, Parchaa deliberately works towards bridging the gap in the Indian rural healthcare system. By leveraging and adopting these technological advancements, all citizens can access healthcare services regardless of where they live.

Stay tuned for more healthcare solutions!

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