How Medyseva Is Solving The Doctor Drought In Rural India With A ‘Phygital’ Telemedicine Model

The year: 2002. The hospitals are G.B. Pant Hospital in Port Blair and Sri Ramachandra Medical College and Research Institute in Chennai. The project: Linking the two to mark the beginning of the telemedicine era in India. A year ago, ISRO ran a pilot, telelinking Chennai’s Apollo Hospital with a rural facility in Andhra Pradesh. Since then, this digital format fostering fast and efficient healthcare thrived and peaked during the Covid-19 pandemic, when virtual medical visits rapidly overtook in-person consultations.

In a country like India, telemedicine is not merely convenient but transformative. It can help the country’s rural population (about 65% of the total populace) remotely access more than 75% of the healthcare professionals in metropolitan regions. A survey also revealed a wide disparity: More than 60% of people from rural areas often travel up to 100 km to access critical treatment, and nearly 90% of the total population have no financial protection for health.  

While offering virtual consultations during Covid-19, Dr Vishesh Kasliwal became painfully aware of how rural healthcare fell short of standard services due to limited access to qualified doctors, lack of essential medicines and inadequate diagnostics facilities. The seasoned medical practitioner with an MBA in healthcare management joined forces with his wife, Rachita, an expert in healthcare marketing, branding and strategy. Together, they set up Medyseva, a platform focussing on underserved regions, matching patients’ requirements with the nearest specialists and connecting them for fast and affordable treatment.

At its core is a B2C phygital platform that enables teleconsultations via an app or by visiting any of its 200+ satellite clinics in 10 states, all fully equipped for secure video consultations. These rural hubs are managed by trained nurses and paramedics who help with initial assessments, connect patients with doctors via the Medyseva app and provide diagnostic services. Test reports are directly sent to the doctor concerned for review. 

What sets these clinics apart is the on-site installation of Medyvend, an IoT-powered automatic drug vending machine to ensure a seamless supply of medicines across rural and remote regions. Besides, the startup offers specialised healthcare services, including Medyvision for eyecare, Medyshe for women’s health, Medydiet for nutrition-related requirements and Medymate for preventive healthcare workshops.     

In the B2B space, it collaborates with medical colleges and hospitals to expand its teleconsultation network and set up more satellite clinics. Medyseva has partnered with five medical colleges and more than 25 private hospitals for quick referrals and claims a network of more than 1K doctors across specialities.

The startup earns from teleconsultation (accounts for 40% of its revenues), satellite clinic charges (35%), sales from drug vending machines (10%), specialised healthcare services (10%) and partnership fees from hospitals and doctors (5%). About 70% of its revenues come from rural areas and Tier III cities; the rest is from Tier II locations, underscoring its focus on non-metro healthcare. 

Medyseva is eyeing a more than 200% revenue jump in the current financial year and preparing to raise a Pre-Series A round of INR 8-10 Cr to scale operations and enhance its tech stack (more on its expansion plans later).

How Medyseva Is Redefining Rural Healthcare With Tech & Trust-Building

By the time the Kasliwals decided to launch their telemedicine platform, the pandemic benefit of the digital format had worn off, and questions were raised globally regarding the quality of care. Hot tech startups were accused of prioritising growth above everything else. In brief, a new telehealth format was needed to bring back the boom in a post-pandemic world. Here is a quick look at what the founders did to take their telemedicine startup a notch higher.  

Changing patient perception through a phygital model: As the realisation dawned fast that telemedicine was a mere tool and could not replace the traditional touch of a medico, the founders knew that a more integrated approach would be required to add value to the digital-only telehealth model. A well-juxtaposed phygital format, like a satellite clinic operating physically and digitally, was the first step to building accountability and trust among rural communities.

As the satellite clinics are closer to home, patients typically travel 0-15 km to access treatment, significantly reducing long-distance travel. Many of these units are strategically set up near a medical college or hospital to ensure quick access to emergency medical services. 

Medyseva has further deepened its reach through health camps and workshops via its Medymate initiative, localised campaigns promoted by village health workers and panchayats, spreading the word through educational institutions and building social media engagement.

In-clinic hand-holding and follow-up care: Unlike many telemedicine providers where patients are left on their own for appointments and consultations, Prior to the teleconsultation, a trained nurse assesses a patient’s vital signs (blood pressure, temperature, pulse and respiratory rates, oxygen saturation) and selects the appropriate speciality care (general medicine, dermatology, cardiology and so on). 

The platform instantly notifies all available doctors from the selected speciality, thus minimising wait time. Secure video consultations are carried out via the Medyseva Doctor App, and multilingual support is provided to facilitate effective communication.

“The entire process, from a patient entering a clinic to completing the consultation and leaving, typically takes eight to 11 minutes. This efficiency is crucial for serving more patients in rural areas and enhancing overall accessibility,” said Dr Kasliwal.

Follow-up consultations are managed through reminders and automated scheduling to ensure the continuity of care, especially for chronic conditions. 

Robust tech for medicine vending, digital framework: To optimise its telemedicine delivery, Medyseva has integrated diagnostics services with its satellite clinics and digitally records all outcomes and case histories for instant access by doctors and patients. All patient data and transactions are encrypted for healthcare data confidentiality.

Each satellite clinic will install Medyvend, an IoT-powered automatic medicine vending machine, to source prescribed medicines instantly. These are connected to a secure cloud platform synced with the Medyseva app and the entire telemedicine system. When a doctor prescribes medication, the prescription is directly sent to the vending machine of the specific clinic from where the patient has signed in. 

These machines verify each prescription before dispensing the correct dosage, thus minimising human errors, while patients can use QR codes or unique prescription IDs to access their medications. These are also equipped with sensors to monitor stock levels and send real-time alerts.

B2B and B2G collaborations for specialised care: The platform will increasingly tie up with private hospitals, global organisations and government initiatives such as Ayushman Bharat to integrate with rural healthcare. It aims to expand medical services, increase Medyvend installations and 5x its satellite clinics in the next five to 10 years to provide inclusive care for the most marginalised communities.

How Tie-Ups With iStart Rajasthan, Other Investors Are Driving Growth

Support from iStart, a flagship initiative by the Rajasthan government, has played a key role in shaping Medyseva’s growth journey. The programme has provided valuable mentorship and much-needed networking opportunities, as well as a space to showcase the startup’s innovative services and cutting-edge technologies. 

The platform is now looking at widespread campaigns, word-of-mouth promotions and social media engagement to grow pan-India, with a focus on underserved tribal communities and the northeast region. Hence, iStart’s access to the grassroots and expertise in building a vibrant ecosystem around target audiences will stand in good stead. 

It has already secured INR 1.6 Cr from Arise Ventures, Anikarth Ventures, ITI Ventures and a clutch of angel investors. It is preparing to raise a pre-Series A round to fund its business growth and next-gen medtech products.

Will Medyseva Witness A Business Boom Post-Pandemic?  

Is the telemedicine boom over now that physical visits to doctors and hospitals are no longer a near-impossible task? In 2020, at the outset of Covid-19, India’s healthtech market size was estimated to reach $21 Bn in 2025 on the back of telemedicine and preventive healthcare, growing from a meagre $6.8 Bn. However, after a 4.8x funding surge during the pandemic – from $456 Mn in 2020 to $2.19 Bn in 2021 – capital flow in this sector dipped by 19% CAGR between 2022 and H1 2024.

Some industry experts believe that the lack of a value-added care mechanism in telemedicine was partially responsible for the dip. Others feel telemedicine will continue to thrive if specialist doctors and hospitals remain out of bounds for rural and remote India.    

Medyseva seems to be addressing the hybrid requirement rising out of this scenario – a combination of remote consultations and human help at hand. In a way, telemedicine would always thrive in a hybrid setting, as a Deloitte report said. Even when artificial intelligence identifies all medical conditions, human validation and help will be needed to meet people’s emotional requirements.       

Meanwhile, the startup is not sitting on its laurels because it may have cracked the value code. Instead, it will grow patient registrations to 1.5 Mn in the next two to three years, enter semi-urban areas with high population density, set up 100 more satellite clinics with Medyvend machines and partner with 10 more medical colleges and 50 additional private hospitals to expand its network.

“We aim to upgrade Medyvend machines and deploy them to Tier II and III cities and primary healthcare centres. The aim is to dispense OTC devices like glucometers and thermometers. Plus, we will introduce advanced AI-based health monitoring to improve the quality of remote care,” said Dr Kasliwal.    

In the long term, the startup plans to enter all Indian states and replicate its business model in South Asian and African nations where similar conditions prevail in rural healthcare. It will also develop SaaS solutions for global hospitals and healthcare providers, build a top-notch team and target an annual revenue of more than INR 100 Cr.

Can Medyseva emerge as a trusted and innovative healthcare partner for millions worldwide? It seems to be taking healthy steps towards the right direction for now.