Healthtech startup 1mg joins hand with Columbia Pacific Communities to ensure better healthcare access for the elderly

Healthtech startup 1MG has joined hands with senior living community operator Columbia Pacific Communities as its official e-healthcare partner.

As a part of this, 1mg will ensure seamless healthcare access for CPC’s senior residents in the comfort and safety of their homes amid the pandemic.

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According to the official statement, the senior residents of Columbia Pacific Communities will now have priority access to order medicines, health products, diagnostic tests, doctor consultations among many other curated services along with multiple payment options and premium support. 

As a part of this, Columbia Pacific Communities said the senior residents will have effortless access to over 250,000 authentic medicines and health products at 1mg at special prices, along with a complete portfolio of diagnostic tests, medical advice from leading experts, COVID-19 testing and support among others.

“Healthcare for seniors cannot be generalised. It requires a certain degree of personalisation, compassion, and attention to detail. So, leveraging a specialist healthcare platform gives them access to quality services almost instantly, within the comfort and safety of their homes."

"We are delighted to partner with India’s leading digital healthcare platform, 1mg, as it will empower our residents, amidst uncertainties, to get access to best-in-class and round-the-clock healthcare services,” said Mohit Nirula, Chief Executive Officer of Columbia Pacific Communities in a statement.

Bengaluru-based Columbia Pacific Communities is a senior living community operator with close to 1,600 residential units under management in five cities and nine communities across south India. It is part of the Columbia Pacific group, developers of senior living communities and hospitals in the United States and southeast Asia.

Speaking with YourStory, Mohit explains that healthcare has several aspects, including access to quality healthcare and then ensure availability and fulfillment of the services. 

“Different individuals may have different requirements from a health perspective. It generally gets construed as medicinal requirements but it is actually much more than that such as follow-ups, diagnostics, test result analysis among others. What we are building is a complete set of inclusive healthcare, which will be accessible to the senior residents of CPC,” he adds.

He also said that the general prevailing notion that “senior citizens do not mix well with technology” is mostly a myth.

Vikas Chauhan, Co-founder of 1mg, supported the idea and revealed that almost over 35 percent of 1mg’s customer base includes people over the age of 50 years. He added that technology adoption among seniors was already underway before COVID-19 and pandemic has further bolstered the digital shift.

“Senior citizens are a vital part of our ecosystem and it is important that we recognise their unique needs and provide them personalised and easy-to-access healthcare. We always strive to offer the best user experience for all customers - and we are excited about the opportunity to serve this important segment,”  Vikas said.

According to the duo, the partnership is aimed at bringing healthcare facilities inside the comfort of the homes as mobility might be an issue for older people.

“The partnership will also result in residents enjoying specialised engaging programmes such as health webinars, health camps, and ask-me-anything sessions with doctors and healthcare experts,”  the official statement noted.