Amit Jain, Vice President, Quikr talks to Prabhat Prakash about a new initiative to help hospitals meet their requirements of supplies related to COVID-19
Is there a quality check done on the supplier before onboarding them onto the platform?
Helphospitals.in is a classifieds platform that connects the two parties (suppliers and hospitals), while quality assurance is managed directly by the hospital.
How is the logistics being managed? Are there any logistics partners to manage the supply chain? How were the requirements fulfilled?
Helphospitals.in is a classifieds platform through which Quikr helps connect hospitals/healthcare professionals with suppliers who can fulfil their medical requirements.
There are already established suppliers in the medical suppliers market like Medikabazaar. Why is Quikr venturing into this segment?
Initially conceptualised by volunteers from ACT, Quikr has offered its expertise to bring this innovation to reality for the medical community. Being a handshake platform that allows buyers and sellers to meet, chat, bargain and strike deals, Quikr has leveraged the same capability here to build a platform that connects the supply side of established medical suppliers with the demand coming from hospitals at this hour of need.
Are all the products available on the platform made in India or are these sourced from other nations? If the products are from outside India, how is the quality check done?
We do not sell these medical products on our platform. We are a platform which connects hospitals with relevant suppliers for their medical requirements. Our healthcare community is working relentlessly to stop the spread of COVID-19 and flatten the curve in India. During these tough times, they are facing a shortage of medical supplies and the nation-wide lockdown isn’t helping the case either. This is an initiative to help the healthcare community.
How are the prices of the products kept in check, making sure that suppliers are not over charging to make a quick buck in the time of crisis?
Upon showing interest, the suppliers are asked to mention the price of the respective products which is then shared with the hospitals who take a call on whether to go ahead at their own discretion. Further, we also call the hospitals to understand if their requirements were met and accordingly share more supplier details as needed.
What kind of medical equipment are being supplied?
The platform now has close to 200 suppliers and some of the most-in-need medical equipment are 3-ply masks, gloves, bouffant caps, coverall suits, ventilators, hand sanitisers, bleach disinfectants, infrared thermometer, needle cutters, and HME bacterial viral breathing filters. Other medical equipment available on the platform include eye goggles, bio medical waste bags and PPE 5, among others.
How does the business model work, and what is the strategy involved? How were the requirements fulfilled?
Helphospitals.in is a unique non-profit initiative by Quikr which is a part of the larger industry-level drive announced recently – Action COVID-19 Team (ACT) launched by Indian start-ups and investors to support innovations that address COVID-19 challenges in the country. Quikr has offered its expertise to bring this innovation to reality for the medical community. Being a handshake platform that allows buyers and sellers to meet, chat, bargain and strike deals, we have leveraged the same capabilities here to build a platform that connects hospitals and suppliers to meet their medical requirements at this hour of need.
prabhat.prakash@expressindia.com