At the same time, 21st-century children are reporting more stress and anxiety, including increased pressure to excel in an ever more competitive educational environment. On a physical level, they are reporting less sleep. Child obesity is increasing across the OECD (The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development), bringing with it potential physical, social, and psychological challenges. There are worries that children are spending less time on old-fashioned activities like running around outside in favor of screen time. And the omnipresent nature of the digital world means that risks like cyberbullying follow them from the schoolyard into their homes.

Everyone, right from the nation and society, down to the individual and families benefits when the schools start promoting health. By incorporating a novel way of thinking into young minds, schools can make a substantial contribution to the health and wellbeing of students and their families. Children benefit from an enhanced environment of psychological, physical, and social well-being and gain from their parent's participation in the school. Children who learn skills to maintain health when they are young are able to apply them in their adult lives and pass them along to their children.

Anand Lakshman is the Founder and CEO of AddressHealth Solutions India Pvt. Ltd. AddressHealth has clinics in Bangalore that offer comprehensive pediatric primary care services. It offers school medical rooms, annual health checks, a hybrid health education curriculum, and mental health programs for schools.

Product offering from AddressHealth Solutions 

Dr. Anand Lakshman says, “AddressHealth Solutions is a 12-years-old organization as a Public Health Specialist and Co-Founder who is also a medical doctor. Healthcare is stuck in the mainframe era and computing is shifted from mainframe to mobile. Healthcare is stuck in the mainframe which is hospital-centric care. AddressHealth Solutions is proactively addressing health. This is a simple concept for which AddressHealth Solutions started and we are focussed on addressing children’s health.”

USP of AddressHealth Solutions

Dr. Anand Lakshman informs, “We are the largest healthcare school provider. We work for primary healthcare for children, preventive and promotive health space of pediatrics and have a large network in schools and pediatric clinics. We are able to provide primary healthcare in a comprehensive manner and promote good health in schools. So, this is the USP for AddressHealth Solutions.”

Clients and schools have benefited from your services so far

Dr. Anand Lakshman states,” We have more than 450+ schools network with us both private and govt. schools. We have covered more than 4 lakh children and have health data of 4 lakh children. We have covered a large network and are present in 4 geographies present in Bangalore, Delhi NCR, and Pune, Hyderabad. The Covid-19 pandemic affected the school because schools were not functioning for 2 years and now they are back in full force. Our network is also back in the full-service delivery model.”

Funding for AddressHealth Solutions 

Dr. Anand Lakshman informs, “We have received from reputed investors, Gray Matters and United Ventures. In 2016, the last fund we raised is approximately about 13 crores. We are well sufficient with funds raised for the expansion done so far. We are focused on pediatric and school health services. This institutional capital has helped us to go to multiple geographies and expand our multiple offerings. “

Revenues in FY22 - FY23 for AddressHealth Solutions 

Dr. Anand Lakshman states, “There has been a major hit in revenues due to covid. We are able to do online health education for schools as well as to conduct covid vaccination as a major activity. In the year 2022- 2023, our revenues will be around 1 million dollars or 7.5 crores. In the year 2021- 2022, our revenues were about 3.4 crores. This is because offline schools have started. Before the pandemic, we were about 6.4 crores. So, we have started growing back.”

Impact of Covid on AddressHealth Solutions

Dr. Anand Lakshman informs, “Our health education is hybrid and runs both offline and online. During covid, we covered 27000 children with our health education. Mental well-being is also addressed with a Psychological first aid program which is well established, especially for those who have been badly affected. We are partnered with an organization for Deepika Padukone's” Live, Love, Laugh, and service delivery partner in Mangalore. We have programs like- 

• Risk Reduction Programs

• Universal Mindfulness and Mental well-being program 

• Health education curriculum from grade1- to grade 8 

• Programs covering Covid, Mental well-being, and health education in school 

• Routine annual health checks up.”

Goals and future expansion plans for AddressHealth Solutions 

Dr. Anand Lakshman informs, “Our focus is million dollar revenue and profit and we will be stable and developing this. Our potential is to grow in two ways- 

• Good quality service to be profitable and sustainable 
• 10 large geographies of India- focus on different towns

Advice from the CEO or Founder of AddressHealth Solutions

Dr. Anand Lakshman states,” Healthcare entrepreneurship is not an easy journey. It requires a deep understanding of the healthcare domain. It required willingness and flexibility to adopt change, technology, and new processes, and challenge the existing paradigm of hospitals and tertiary care. The people who are looking to understand complexities and stay for long are here to grow. We need to last this game and play it for a long time for us to be successful. 

He further says, “School builds values and education, so health should also be built-in school. We need professional healthcare organizations to help educational institutions not only for a safe and healthy environment but also to make sure children get good value beliefs and practices for good health in future.”