Home healthcare firm on a strong wicket

Thiyagarajan highlights the pain points of the enterprise, which was founded after a personal experience. Having faced the challenge of tending to an aunt by engaging the available services in a highly evolving segment, he felt that introducing home care could be a profitable exercise benefiting all the stakeholders. Typically, the instances of geriatric population going through the rigours of staying alone while their loved ones stay in far-off lands are far too many to be ignored.

“My wife is a doctor, which gave me confidence to launch this venture. But, I soon realised that this is an operation-intensive business. So, I took a six-month internship to get more hands-on experience and as providence could have it, I met a German professional at a healthcare conference,” he says, recalling the time when he was taking baby steps in his new business. Thiyagarajan entered into a four-year contract with this professional, who was given salary and equity.

Attempts to institutionalise the home care segment, included hiring ex-Army personnel, as the medical care method is uniform, he sought to point out, noting that attrition became the biggest challenge. So, with an expensive payroll sapping away the revenues, he decided to change the model. This is when IHHC approached a social welfare board so that a 12th class pass-out could be trained and handle the key functions of home care – essentially the emotional and hygiene aspects, in a dignified manner.

In the meantime, IHHC expanded to Bengaluru, Pune and Hyderabad. A meeting with Mark Baiada, who founded Bayada Home Health Care in 1975, led to an effective partnership. The formal pact with the well-established Philadelphia operator was done after short-listing 10 global players, he said.

IHHC specialises in the core area of critical care at home – broad range of care and support services for individuals recovering from a hospital stay, the disabled, or the chronically or terminally-ill, those needing medical, nursing, social, or therapeutic treatment or just daily help with the essential activities of everyday living.

Thiyagarajan said last year an ICU simulation lab was set up in Bengaluru for over Rs 1 crore. This helped IHHC to test out every aspect of the clinical process on a real-time basis. A technical team headed by Dr Navin from the US and the presence of a four-member team of Bayada in India have helped IHHC to spruce up its operations and provide clinical processes effectively, he said.

He explains that cost saving of about 40 per cent is possible in a typical 10-day rehabilitation plan. Also, the discharge of patients from hospitals improves the occupancy levels. “It is a win-win for everyone. For instance, a knee replacement patient would incur Rs 14,000 for our services during the re-hab period. But, we are clear that our service level agreements are drafted only after proper discharge of patients from the respective hospitals,” Thiyagarajan said, adding IHHC had tie-ups with several key healthcare providers. With 200 critical care nurses and 180 medical caretakers in its fold, IHHC is eyeing the Gulf region to tap the potential there. But, on the domestic side, the company is happy to expand slowly and steadily as the years go by.