Practo aims to vaccinate over 10 million as India fights coronavirus

Practo announces 'Corporate Suraksha' programme under which employees from over 1,000 corporates across India will be vaccinated in first round

As India battles a deadly second wave of coronavirus and the need for immunisation intensifies, healthcare tech firm Practo is aiming to vaccinate over 10 million Indians. It has announced ‘Corporate Suraksha’, a vaccination programme for companies across the country. The registrations are now open for corporates to enlist their employees and their family members for the inoculation. Additionally, corporates can use the same link to register for Practo’s wellness plans. As part of this, employees can get access to online doctor consultations across over 22 specialities, among other health benefits.

“The country is battling a deadly second phase of the viral outbreak, and immunising as many people as possible is the only way out of it. Blanket vaccination is critical,” said Dr Alexander Kuruvilla, chief healthcare strategy officer, Practo.

“The government is constantly working on expanding the list of Covid-19 vaccination centres, and Practo is extending its full support to make sure that the program is carried out quickly and efficiently,” he said.

However, there is a worrying surge in Covid-19 cases and it has been reported that there is a shortage of vaccines across the country. Practo didn’t reveal the details about the time period of its vaccination programme or if there is enough stock available for vaccines. The company said the time period varies for every company or community. It also depends on the location and the number of employees.

Practo aims to roll out the programme with the help of thousands of hospitals and healthcare professionals, which are part of its network.

Over 500 corporates (about a million Indians) have expressed interest in joining the program in the first phase. Practo will be setting up camps and working with its strong network of hospitals, vaccinators, and supply chain companies among others in the healthcare ecosystem, to initiate the drive. In the coming days, vaccination programs will be run at hospitals, while special camps will be set up at corporate offices in over 30 cities across the nation. 

Practo which is backed by investors such as Sequoia, CapitalG and Tencent is valued at around $904 million, according to data platform Tracxn. It is soon expected to become a unicorn or a startup valued at over $1 billion.

Additionally, Practo will also be expanding this programme to housing societies, apartment complexes, and other such communities. Following the registration process, Practo will reach out to the respective owners and share details about administering the vaccines, appointment schedules, and the location where employees can get the jab. 

Over the next few months, the company plans to scale this to over 1,000 corporates and 10 million Indians.

In addition to this vaccination program, the company also offers a comprehensive health and wellness plan to corporate employees. As part of this employees can get premium 24*7 access to over 25,000 verified doctors for instant online consultations across more than 22 specialties, medicine delivery, and medical tests services at-home services. Over 150 corporates like L&T Financial Services, Marico, Hexaware Technologies, Tata Realty, Denave India and Telus International have availed these plans for their employees. 

As per government directions, all individuals are required to be vaccinated twice - with a gap of six-eight weeks between the doses. They also need to continuously monitor their health during this period for possible side effects like fever and/or cold. In case they experience any discomfort, they must consult a doctor.

Practo is not the only tech firm or startup rolling out such programmes. E-pharmacy chain PharmEasy aims to facilitate the vaccination of 30 million persons over the next few quarters with camps and centres for housing societies, old-age homes, and companies. It claims to have received a soft commitment from 5 million individuals and 1,200 organisations for the drive. The firm will be partnering clinics and hospitals, which will be providing nurses and administrative staff.

NoBrokerHOOD – the visitor, society, and payments management app by NoBroker.com – has announced that it will be organizing vaccination drives across societies in Bengaluru, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Delhi-NCR. Vaccination at doorstep started with two societies in Bangalore on April 24, 2021 and will continue through the coming months.

ekincare, a health benefits platform has formed a partnership with online medicine startup 1mg to drive out Covid-19 vaccination. More than 500 corporates will benefit from the vaccination drives.ekincare and 1mg are partnering up to provide on-site vaccinations and medical assistance to all their client corporates going forward.