EVANGELIST OF ACCESSIBILITY

Impact Health’s Anshuman Sahoo is building a GP culture with new models of affordability to make healthcare more mainstream. 

MEET THE LEADER 

Anshuman Sahoo is the Founder & CEO of Impact Health, a one-stop healthcare hub - covering OPD, hospitalization, and accessible health insurance for SMEs - that’s committed to providing affordable and quality health solutions 

PERSONALITY SKETCH

We trigger off the encounter by trying to visualize Anshuman’s personality outline. Is it possible for him to capture his personal and professional identity in brief for our readers? The idea leader complies…

“I’m a Public Health professional with experience in designing and implementing Chronic Disease management programs with Pharmaceuticals and the Govt. of India. I’m a graduate from Christ University, Bengaluru. I have a routine habit of reading a book before sleeping and in my free time, I love to play the guitar. Prior to Impact Health, I have worked with healthcare startups and have consulted & implemented Public Health projects in India, Indonesia & Uzbekistan.”

THE BIG IDEA

Most disruptive leaders are driven by an all-consuming central idea that drives them forward. So what is the one big concept or philosophy that defines his? Anshuman shares candidly…

“So this happened during one of my visits to a Public Health institution. I saw a huge waiting for patients everywhere, be it in the OPD or investigation room. Furthermore, even after waiting for a long time, a good majority of the patients do not get the treatment done.

I did my research and understood that the majority of medical triaging in this country is done based on the patients’ friends and family's bits of advice, rather than an examination from a clinician or medical doctor. At times the patient has to visit multiple specialists, just due to lack of medical information and triaging. On top of that, they do not even have comprehensive health cover, making the majority of the expenses out of the pocket for the patient. I understand this to be one of the most prominent reasons why people neglect their health until it's severe. I just had one thing in my mind: "I need to make healthcare more inclusive, affordable, accessible and at the same time qualitative."

GENESIS AND METAMORPHOSIS

How did that intense desire to disrupt the status quo evolve into a high-achieving team and seamless growth engine? What were the defining forces and incidents that influenced his vision along the way? Anshuman is happy to quench our curiosity, traveling back in time to add more context to the saga of his quest… 

“During my schooling days, my dad was posted in a district near Varanasi, UP; Unfortunately, he got arthritis while posted there. He was able to manage the condition initially with some medication for the pain as it was initially seasonal. As the situation got worse he underwent a minimally invasive procedure in Varanasi, and later had to undergo a complete hip replacement surgery. 

At that time when it initially started for him, he never knew that there is a special branch of medicine called Rheumatology that deals with arthritis. If at that time it was addressed properly, it might be that he wouldn’t have to suffer for 7 long years up until the surgery.

During the initial days, my fathers' treatment was based on recommendations from friends and family, rather than a proper clinical triaging. This made me realize the importance of GP culture in the country for information, education, and understanding of patients for better patient care.

WHAT’S NEXT?

Now that he has built his launchpad, what is Anshuman looking forward to? What are the big goals and targets on his horizon? Anshuman generously divulges…

“Access to healthcare is a basic right of every individual. However, at times due to huge Out of Pocket Expenditure (OPE), a good chunk of people get pushed into poverty. According to a report published by WHO, around 55 million people in India were pushed into poverty due to high OPE. 

We at Impact Health have a fundamental idea of reducing the OPE, entire OPD care ranging from doctor consultations, investigations, medicines, consumables and also the IPD care. For that, we have created a product that not only covers all of the above but also has a cost, lower to that of an individual's monthly mobile bill. 
With this, we are able to detect early and diagnose a patient for any risks, and with the GP culture being implemented the patient gets proper clinical advice and triaging for effective & better patient care.

A WORD ABOUT VOH

A short and delightful session approaches its conclusion, lending us a rare peak into a true idea champion’s process and vision of change. As we thank Anshuman for his time and wish him plenty more milestones in the time ahead, we request him to share a few words about Voice of Healthcare. How, for instance, can tribute profiles such as Idea Leaders are important to add direction, inspiration and positive energy to the healthcare community? The passionate evangelist of affordable and accessible care promptly complies…

“I have been following VOH for quite some time, I used to read mostly about the changemakers and idea leaders. I believe positive communication is much needed in our society and especially in the healthcare segment, there is a huge gap of awareness among individuals. The Idea leaders are the ones who have taken a plunge to create a positive health impact for the entire society and VOH not only does a great job in communicating about the Idea Leaders, their goals, and achievements but also creates awareness among individuals about the positive disruptions in the healthcare segment. Communicating the Idea Leaders' thoughts, goals, and achievements, VOH helps creates a plethora of opportunities for the ecosystem to collaborate and achieve greater good together.”

*This story is published by VOH team.*