3 IIT graduates build kiosks for those without access to doctors

MUMBAI:Three engineering graduates from Mumbai have developed kiosks that dispense electronic medical diagnosis services.

MUMBAI:Three engineering graduates from Mumbai have developed kiosks that dispense electronic medical diagnosis services.

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Dhilly Babu and Shreyans Gandhi, who graduated from Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (IIT-B), and Arpit Mishra, a graduate from IIT Kharagpur, first came up the idea of a ‘health ATM’ on the lines of bank automated teller machines, especially for areas with limited access to healthcare facilities. So far, Yolo Health, the company established by the young entrepreneurs, has installed 18 such kiosks in different areas of the country, including two in Mumbai and one in Thane.

“Just like bank ATMs, the health ATMs provide primary-level services without having to go to a clinic. These ATMs not only provide basic diagnosis but also connect villagers to nearby doctors,” said Babu.

From basic health indicators such as blood pressure and body mass index , to various blood and urine tests, as well as cardiac and respiratory check-ups, the kiosks are equipped with tools and sensors to perform the primary diagnosis, whose reports are generated instantly.

For further diagnosis, the patients can be connected to a doctor through video-conferencing. A full-time attendant, who could be a community worker or a paramedic, assists patients.

The engineers have tied-up with local hospitals, whose doctors remain available for telemedicine and authenticating diagnostic reports.

While the general health check-up is provided free of cost, more advanced tests are charged.

The founders said that the health ATMs have proven to be a success in rural areas. “Every day, around 40-50 patients visit the kiosks,” said Gandhi, who recently did his PhD in biotechnology from IIT-B.