The demand for home collection of samples for pathological tests has grown manifold in the wake of the pandemic, said representatives of diagnostic labs, hospitals and health tech companies.
The demand has brought at least one new player into the market.
Citywide Lab, which defines itself as “a web and app-based medical diagnostics labs aggregator”, is a Kolkata-based start-up that went live in January and has over 5,000 active users.
The start-up provides an online platform where customers can connect to a range of diagnostic centres, compare prices and book services, according to their requirements.
“Every month, we have been witnessing a 60 per cent growth in new users. An overwhelming majority of the users are opting for home collection of samples,” said Yogesh Joshi, co-founder of Citywide Lab.
Over a dozen diagnostic labs are already on board and talks are on with several more, he said. All the labs have a National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) accreditation.
Citywide Lab now covers Kolkata and nearby areas like Barasat, Baruipur and adjoining districts like Howrah and Hooghly.
“The scalability of this project is high. We are looking at other cities like Bangalore, Hyderabad and Delhi,” said Soumen Kumar Hajra, the other co-founder.
“Many of our customers are senior citizens whose children live outside Kolkata. The children often book a test for their parents,” said Joshi.
He cited a recent study by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (Ficci), which found around 54 per cent of respondents preferring sample collection for diagnostic tests, delivery of medicines and nursing care at home.
Patients are comparing homecare models with at-home services provided by other sectors such as entertainment, banking and retail. “Covid has been a key catalyst. It has accelerated the digital transformation of healthcare by at least a decade,” said Joshi.
Hospitals have already witnessed a dip in numbers when it comes to pathological tests.
Joshi expects the slide to continue. “Hospitals operate with a limited patient pool and the cost is on the higher side. They cannot match the pricing of diagnostic labs that have the advantage of volume,” he said.
Somnath Chatterjee, director of Suraksha Diagnostics, which has 29 units in Kolkata and adjoining areas, welcomed the trend of home collection of samples.
“We have witnessed a 25 per cent growth in the demand for home collection,” he said.
“Samples for only pathological tests can be collected from home. Physical visits to a testing centre is still the preferred mode for X-ray and USGs. While the trend of home collection is welcome, the service providers have to be flexible to the needs of the customer,” said Chatterjee.
Pradip Tondon, chief executive officer of Belle Vue, acknowledged a dip in the number of pathological tests.
“All the hospitals are facing the challenge. We cannot match the competitive rates of a diagnostic centre. Patients should conduct a check before going to a random diagnostic centre,” he said.