The theme of World Health Day, 2021 is, “Building a fairer, healthier world for everyone.” It’s based on the vision that health is one of the fundamental rights of everyone. When the pandemic hit us hard, we were not prepared to provide the fundamental right of health to everyone. We were not prepared enough to handle the crisis. But several well-meaning startups immediately jumped into the mission to provide good healthcare at the fastest rate. 4 such startups are being featured here for managing crisis successfully with great solutions.

1. Helyxon, a Chennai-based start-up received the Covid Champion award from the honorable chief minister of Tamil Nadu for a path-breaking solution during the Covid challenge. The startup made a holistic approach of integration of tele-engagement platform (EPICare) and remote monitoring vitals solutions (OXY-2 device with iVital +mobile APP). Due to this solution, the doctors could reach out to their patients remotely, diagnose and make timely medical interventions on the basis of accurate data of heart rate, body temperature, respiration rate, Sp02 that got transmitted via Bluetooth to a mobile app. 

2. MyLab, a Pune-based startup, quickly designed and developed a Covid-19 testing kit during the outbreak of the Coronavirus when the vaccine was not at all available. The new invention helped to test symptomatic patients so that the spread could be slowed down. The PathoDetectTM CoVID-19 detection kit was developed for the public health laboratories for the purpose of screening and detection. The kit got approved by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). During the time it got developed, there were some foreign kits only that were available in the market but this national innovation was a cheaper solution. 

3. Garuda Aerospace had been designing, building, and customizing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones for different purposes like agricultural survey, mapping, pesticide survey, wildlife monitoring, wildlife poaching, crowd monitoring, etc. When Covid hit the country hard, Garuda Aerospace used its expertise to provide quick help in the sanitization operations. It was the first company that the government of India officially endorsed for using the drone for disinfecting areas around the hospitals. This Chennai-based startup took pride in its problem-solving initiative. 

4. Biodesign Innovation Labs worked at an accelerated pace to design portable ventilators during the outbreak of Covid as there was an acute shortage of ventilators. The Bangalore-based startup had designed the life-saving device-RespirAID which is a smart, portable, low-cost mechanical ventilator. It started mass production of such ventilators that helped patients in ambulances, post-operative care, ER, etc. It proved to be a quickly built alternative to manual ventilations that are found in ICUs. The startup got featured in Forbes India for being an impactful innovator during the Covid crisis that mass manufactured the ventilators so that they could reach quickly in the rural areas as well.

Generating revenue and employment through one’s business venture is the primary goal of any startup but when such initiatives rise up to serve a purpose, they become respectful. The above 4 startups come in that category due to their timely and quick initiatives to handle the health crisis.

(Edited by Amrita Priya)