Health check-ups via SMS, email

City-based service provides round-the-clock nutritionists, tracks weight loss, blood sugar levels and even mood swings. A new technology launched by a city-based doctor can do.

Imagine your cell phone convincing you to eat salad instead of chocolate cake for a midnight snack. As sci-fi as it sounds, that’s exactly what a new technology launched by a city-based doctor can do. Dr Ankit Khambhati calls his venture, Cheeny Kum, a technology for disease management. Integrating mobile and online services with a round-the-clock call centre, this unique system provides each member with a personal health manager, who is at your beck and call at any hour of the day.

“Your personal health manager is a nutritionist who will manage your diet, exercise and stress. We have launched two programmes- one for diabetics and the other for weight loss,” explains Khambhati, adding, “We remind our members to go to the gym for a workout, take their medicines on time, and even encourage them to avoid an unhealthy midnight snack if they call us at 2 in the morning.” One of the key selling points of the programme for diabetics is their promptness. “We remind our diabetic patients to monitor their sugar levels and send the reading back to us. If the blood sugar is dangerously high or low, we instantly inform the patient’s relatives and doctor,” he adds.

The system works on a three-tier basis, with the lowermost section comprising nutritionists. Above them are psychologists who help patients deal with the mood swings and irritability associated with weight loss and other conditions. At the top tier, doctors review the cases and advice health managers on how to help their patients. Khambhati reveals, "We currently have more than 1,500 subscribers in India and abroad. Thanks to the software, our personal health managers can manage about 100 people at a time. We are so clued in, we even know if a patient has fought with her husband."

How much do you pay
*Weight loss programme costs Rs 6,000 per quarter
*Programme for diabetics costs Rs 4,000 per year.
* Avail services like home delivery of medicines, blood tests etc.
*Most expensive programme costs Rs 40,000 a year.

Log on to cheenykum.com