1. Analyze the status of rural healthcare in the state of Rajasthan (based on case facts)?
2. Analyze the why the business model of e-Swasthya failed. If the company were to reconfigure the business model what changes should they carry out?
The core reasons for failure of E-swasthya are:
Government Providers
The patients were referred to other hospitals like public health care and private clinic in case of illness was more serious. Piramal e-swasthya would refer one tenth of the patients to other providers which annoyed some of the patients.
The negative word of mouth publicity by patients and government providers stopped others from visiting Piramal.
PeS visit proved futile in case of complex health issues.
And the public health practitioners would delay the service and make them wait longer if they were referred to by the Piramal e-Swasthya.
Local Private Practitioners
The satisfaction level among the customers was decreasing as the patients were not getting immediate results as compared to the service of quacks who offered steroids which provided immediate results, though compromising on long term.
The quacks also threatened the villagers to not visit the Piramal e-swasthya.
The quacks were opinion leaders and had political influence. The patients were happy to see immediate benefits. This resulted in compounding of bad publicity
Besides this, the quacks also offered flexibility in payments. Patients could pay later and even barter for the service.
Delayed effect of antibiotics
Payment flexibility of quacks
Admonished or threatened villagers to withhold care
Villagers wanted to see commitment before changing habits
Piramal Swasthya Sahayikas ( PSS ) – Cultural Issues
The Piramal Swasthya Sahayikas were young women with low status and were part of a conservative society and many limitations were imposed on them. Hence they proved inefficient as they interacted only with small community...