New service: Taking patients to hospital

A company provides people to accompany patients on their hospital visits

A platform where one can hire caregivers, based in BTM Layout, is filling gaps in the service sector. It was launched in January this year.

The initiative, Aayacare, was inspired when two of the co-founders, Arun Sathyan and cousin Vaishnav C, had to shuttle between Bengaluru and Mallapuram in Kerala, to help Arun’s father with hospital visits. “Whenever his father had to visit the hospital, we had to cut down on our work responsibilities and head home to be with the family. We identified that a gap existed in such services available in our society, where even for such small visits, one had to depend on their peers or loved ones,” explains Vaishnav. The core team also includes co-founders Mahesh Narayanan and Dr Arun Raj T, schoolmates of Vaishnav and Arun.

The prime focus of the ‘companion’ (or caregiver) is to assist a patient in their hospital visit and consultations. “On top of that, we also provide add-on services like mobility service for the patient to reach the hospital and back home, and refreshment assistance en route the hospital visit or transportation,” says Vaishnav. In case a patient is being hospitalised, they provide delivery assistance, where personal necessities can be brought from home. “We can also help the patient in buying medicines from the pharmacy,” he adds.

The service is not restricted to elderly people or persons with disabilities. “Anyone who needs assistance during a hospital visit can avail of our service.”

They have a car, and “hope to partner with other mobility service solutions such as Ola and Uber”, he adds. Apart from transporting and assisting the patient at the hospital, the service’s app has an inbuilt feature, where the progress of the booking will be updated by the ‘companion’. “The same can be viewed by the person who made the booking and people who are listed as family,” elaborates Vaishnav. The service has completed more than 60 bookings now. Currently, they work during day hours but will be expanding to a 24x7 service soon.

The service is available in four packages, starting from Rs 1,050.

To make bookings, download Aayacare from Play Store. For details, call 86063 35131.