Global healthcare company Advatech started by successfully delivering 24 hour medical transportation facilities in Kolkata. Launched in 2010 by Samit Biswas, also the CEO, it was his keen observational eye that lead him to focus on improving the coordination and quality of medical transport services. The service facilitator closely works with ambulance/taxi services, hospitals, clinics, pharmacies, and laboratories, to ensure easy access of transport and related amenities.
After a well-heeled ambulance service and training programme in India, Advatech Healthcare has brought the services to the UK and now have over 100 cabs in service in London. “A non emergency medical transport gap is prevalent across the country, which is why, we are launching Meditaxis step-wise across the UK.” Biswas said. The company implements its TACIT delivery model that has formed the base for its healthcare services.
Technology, Administration, Consultancy, Infrastructure and Training, is the basic service package on which we build our healthcare services. They are currently being expanded in the UK and other a few other countries such as India, Pakistan and in parts of the Middle East,” he explained.
Now in talks about their TACIT healthcare initiative for non-emergency medical transport, Samit said, “Our next steps are to support parts of the NHS and the private healthcare services with out of hours logistics for labs and pathology samples along with the other transportation-related services. All the services will be coordinated through a 24 hour free helpline (HEALPP), a service that allows people to get information on private non-emergency healthcare services, especially for those who are not covered under the NHS such as tourists from non-EU countries.” Dr Bala Raju, one of the team members said. “I have worked as a doctor, both in India and the UK for over 20 years. Most of this experience has been in the government hospital and community settings but the last 6 years has been in managing private healthcare services in India and the UK. Advatech Healthcare was already offering a reliable medical transport service
in India and my visit to Kolkata where the services were being delivered, was an eye opener to what could be possible in the UK,” Raju said. “Combining medical assessment and management with an effective medical transport and information system is making a great difference to patient care along all the care pathways. Advatech Healthcare continues to expand it’s full range of services with hundreds of hospitals throughout Europe and South East Asia. The marketing is mainly by word of mouth as the patients who experience the good quality of services, tend to talk to others about it.”
When asked Why Advatech, Dr Raju said, “The existing options are costly and the choice is limited. By creating an open platform that patients and their carers could call for free and ask about the possible range of private healthcare services and transport options available, Advatech Healthcare delivers a much more transparent and effective service.” “The 24 hour free helpline (HEALPP) was created from over four decades of combined healthcare experience covering the whole of the UK and India in terms of an in depth knowledge and network of private hospitals, clinics and healthcare professionals in these two countries. In addition to private clinics we work with NHS services by understanding their available facilities and can book additional self paid and insurance paid work for them outside routine working hours, so that it won't effect their regular work. It has taken over seven years to build such a strong network and understanding of what services are actually available to those who need a non-NHS appointment.”
Talking about pre-assessments and after care, the doctor said, “Well-man and well-woman checks and diagnostic assessments are in high demand as there are few interventions or procedures involved. The management and treatment of an illness may be carried out at a later stage, in their preferred hospital when patients know what the actual diagnosis is and have done the due diligence. In relation to after care, this can be facilitated through local clinicians depending on where the patient has moved to.”
