India’s most dependable ambulance network, HelpNow, has cut ambulance wait times in half. The startup was formed by Aditya Makkar and his IIT friends after he was unable to get an ambulance for his father
Aditya Makkar was 17 years old when he became a victim of India’s ailing and overburdened emergency services system. Aditya’s father had a heart attack, however, several attempts to locate an ambulance were useless.
Aditya gave up on the health services because he was afraid he might lose his father, and instead went in search of a cab. Aditya’s father was fortunate. He was soon escorted to the nearest hospital in a cab.
In response to the event, the IITan devised and began deploying an Uber-like service for ambulances. The service gathers all ambulances in any city and then assigns them automatically, similar to how a cab is ordered via an app.
“These ambulances can now be accessed via the HelpNow app.”
When the app is activated, it dispatches the nearest ambulance in the region within 20 minutes. “The scheme has already assisted hundreds of people by offering free treatments worth Rs 50 lakh,” Aditya claims.
Along with Aditya Makkar, Mumbai-based HelpNow, was formed in 2017 by his fellow IITians Shikar Agarwal and Venkatesh Amrutwar.
HelpNow ambulances are cleaned and have adequate ventilation. It covers a radius of 15 to 20 kilometres around Mumbai. It offers a large network that patients, healthcare personnel, hospitals, testing labs, and government agencies can use. They offer their services in Bengaluru, Delhi, and Pune.
HelpNow is backed by Wes Schwalje, Walid Aradi, Y Combinator, Tahseen Consulting, and Soma Capital. This Company’s lead investor is Y Combinator.
They offer free service to the Mumbai police. Other services include air ambulances, inter-city ambulances, train ambulances, neonatal ambulances, intensive care units, and so on.
What role do they play?
In Mumbai, they have a vast network of private ambulances, and they keep a watch on it. They started with fewer ambulances, but after a while, they had 13 ambulances on the road. HelpNow is now functioning in major cities.
They have a minimum charge and are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week in their ambulance bed facility, which has fully cleaned equipment and ventilation.
Future Plans – HelpNow
According to the HelpNow team, they hope to make this ambulance available to the public for free by 2024. They intend to develop it throughout India.
As a result, anyone can use the HelpNow service. They are requesting that the MHRD pass rule be implemented for student entrepreneurs.
There are numerous areas in India where people do not have access to adequate medical treatments. People are suffering from a medical resource crisis as a result of their ignorance about medical services.
Many startups began during the epidemic, but HelpNow is special in that it is a work in which they are assisting those who are unable to obtain these types of services.
