The Challenge

In India, healthcare costs and a lack of access to insurance have pushed more than 39 million people into poverty. For low-income Indians, “healthcare” is a choice between traveling long and far to poorly-managed, overcrowded government facilities, or expensive, poorly-managed and poorly-staffed private clinics. Regardless of the provider, these facilities are largely located in urban centers and almost completely out of reach, both geographically and financially, for customers who live in peri-urban or rural areas. Limited access to primary healthcare leads people to go without it, causing minor, inexpensive health issues to worsen over time into difficult and more expensive-to-treat problems.

The Innovation

Our Family Clinic offers a third option to government run and private clinics — affordable clinics close to low-income customers living in rural villages and peri-urban communities. The company’s unique model provides integrated, holistic care. Each clinic offers services ranging from basic consultations to diagnostic testing, clinical procedures and an in-house pharmacy, all under one roof. The company’s clinics operate 24/7, to allow their customers, who are often unable to take time off from work, to receive quality care not only within their price range but also on their own schedules. Through their chain of clinics, Our Family Clinic is reviving the age-old concept of a family doctor and bridging the gap between fragmented government practitioners and expensive specialty clinics.

The Impact

By providing access to affordable, convenient healthcare, Our Family Clinic gives low-income customers with early entry points into the formal healthcare system, making it more likely that they will receive early diagnoses that will improve health and decrease the total cost of healthcare expenditures in the long term. To date, Our Family Clinic operates six clinics in Kerala in South India. Acumen’s investment will be used primarily to establish 10 additional clinics in the region and implement a clinical management information system (MIS).