iKure’s journey started in 2010 to address the inadequate and inaccessible primary healthcare for the last mile using technology. We have impacted 12 M population across 8 states in India. We have the data capability powered by AI and machine learning algorithm for actionable research interventions and many more. With a full proof model, we began at a small scale. But soon, we learnt the limitation of the model that could reach only a fraction of the population when the problem was common for 70% of the India’s rural villages.
We wondered, can iKure solve the problem individually? Can we create doctors overnight or build infrastructure to solve the problem at scale? The answer was no. The problem is dynamic and multivariant in nature. On one hand, we have primary health centres that remains ineffective and less utilized due to the shortage of staff, resources and quality care and on the other hand, India with a vast population of 1.3 billion needs to build 200,000 health and wellness centres to address the demand and supply gap. In this context, iKure with 200 centres was insignificant to match up to the need.
Societal Platform thinking was important for us to reflect that technology can be the key enabler to scale, but it cannot bring different actors co-create solution together and amplify at a population scale. iKure aimed to build a shared infrastructure for multiple actors to come together to solve the common goal. We wanted to create such infrastructure, where people can access the health system with hope and newer possibilities. The Naga telehealth was an effort to introduce the platform thinking of co-creating together with the Government, technology partners, research partners, NGOs and grassroot members. The system opened access to healthcare, prevention and wellness for the entire state of Nagaland leveraging 192 sub health centres and 19 primary health centres.
The prototype model is adapted in Khunti District, Jharkhand with JICA to transform the ineffective health system into a dynamic one. It is serving the district hospitals, community sub-centres, and primary health centres. This has set an example for other state governments to follow, where we are partnering with 5 State governments to leverage the shared digital infrastructure for greater utilization and access to health and wellness centres and promote prevention and awareness at the community level through frontline health workers. The platform is also available in hybrid model to drive rapid adaption and evolution in local context using physical health workforce presence at patient’s door-steps. The shared digital infrastructure has co-created network of engagement at different levels. It has enabled remote health monitoring services through NGOs and self-help groups and addressing the behavioural and cultural barriers that cause vaccine hesitancies in rural villages through frontline health workers. It will bring 200,000 frontline health workers using the shared infrastructure at a mass level. In all these cases, the architecture design needs to foster trust and ownership. Use of AI model can only find relevance, if the platform ensures data privacy for all the actors in the ecosystem. Towards this, iKure is working with ODI-Microsoft to develop an automated open data platform ensuring right data reaches to right hands. A shared and collective understanding of different stakeholders can solve the problem of healthcare in totality. Through our shared infrastructure, we aim to reach out to our beneficiaries irrespective of where they are. iKure through SP lens believes the power of shared infrastructure can amplify its potential to serve at a population scale.
