Annual Report 2018-19

This report covers the period from April 2018 to March 2019. During this reporting period, the CEO, Shri Mriganka Saikia, who held the responsibility since 20 September 17, offered to step down in January 2019 due to a busy personal schedule and was relieved from his duty. The society was without a CEO from January until the end of this reporting period. [Shri Sushanta Sarkar has been appointed as the new CEO per the resolution of the board meeting held on 25 April 2019. Shri Sarkar assumed charge on the same day.]

‘AYURKALPA’

AYURKALPA, Guwahati Club was established in August 2017 and became fully operational in September 2017. The clinic is strategically situated in a densely populated residential area with three doctor’s chambers, a modern reception and sitting area, and a phlebotomy room. An electronic booking system allows patients to book and cancel an appointment online. From September to March, Ayurkalpa served just over 50 patients during the seven months, a low activity rate given the facility. The main reason for the underperformance of AYURKALPA is the lack of specialists offering service on the premises. Several specialists did not keep their promise to run their clinics in AYURKALPA, which left us with only two specialists (Ophthalmology and Cardiology). The main challenge is ensuring that AYURKALPA engages sufficient doctors from various specialities.

AYURKALPA, Jalukbari, was inaugurated in the newly constructed GU Market Complex in August 2018 in a simple function attended by the V.C. of Guwahati University. The premises are 300 sq. feet in size, and they have a shop counter with shelves in the front and a provision for a doctor’s chamber at the back. The centre currently houses a generic medicine pharmacy under the ‘Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana’, which is run by an entrepreneur without financial liability. The Pharmacy pays the cooperative a fee to cover the rent and maintenance of the premises. In addition to the Pharmacy, the shop has enough space, shelves, and provisions to sell additional health and medical care items. The Cooperative is currently exploring how this excess capacity, including the doctor’s chamber, can be used as there is a potential to earn additional revenue by retailing to the residents of the University campus.

The society has facilitated the setting up a physiotherapy centre and a pharmacy on the floor adjacent to Ayurkalpa. The floor has been configured to accommodate another small office and meeting area. This annexe is sublet to respective businesses, and the rent is passed on to the owners, making this project cost-neutral. This project helps the Cooperative project on a more comprehensive front with additional services that the Cooperative otherwise would not have been able to provide.

We have forged alliances with an increasing number of Diagnostic Centres, Hospitals, and four Pharmacies which offer significant discounts to our members.

Diagnostic Centres and Hospitals

Ayursundra Super-Specialty Hospital, Guwahati
Ayursundra One-Stop Medical Centre, Ulubari, Guwahati
Ayursundra Diagnostics (Maligaon, Beltola, Barpeta, Tinisukia, Tezpur, Shillong)
KGMT Hospital, Mother Teresa Rd, Guwahati, Assam-781024
Health City Hospital, Khanapara, Guwahati-781022
Agile Hospital, Khanapara, Guwahati-781022
Excelcare Hospital, Boragaon, NH-37 Highway, Guwahati, Assam 781033
Path Care, Uday Nagar, Khanapara, Guwahati-781022
SRL Diagnostics-Skylab, Ulubari Flyover, G.S. Road, Guwahati-781007
Primus, Near Satsang Vihar, Bhangagarh, Guwahati-781005
Panacea, Near Bharalu Bridge, Bhangagarh Guwahati-781005
Hayat Hospital, Kahilipara Road, Odalbakra, Guwahati-781034
Down Town, G. S. Road, Dispur, Guwahati-781005
North East Cancer Hospital, 11 Miles, Jorabat, Guwahati-781023
Indraprastha Apollo, Sarita Vihar, Delhi Mathura Road, New Delhi-110076.
Medanta, The Medicity, Sector 38, Gurugram, Haryana-122001
Chikitsa, Clinic & Diagnostics, Adabari (Opposite Bus Stand) Guwahati-781012.

Pharmacies

New Upasam Medico’s, M.R. Dewan Rd, Chandmari Colony, Guwahati-781003
The Muskan Medical, Opp. Kamrup Academy H.S. School, Guwahati-781003
Kakoli Medicos, Odal Bakra Main Rd, Near Hayat Hospital, Guwahati-781034
Anjistha Medicare, Vijaya Bank Complex, Beltola Rd, Guwahati-781028

We collected data from only four centres (Ayursundra OSM Centre, SRL Diagnostics-Skylab, Chikitsa, and Panacea), showing that 548 shareholders and beneficiaries collectively availed Rs. 6 93,644.00 in a discount from these four centres alone. Considering that we have a tie-up with seventeen centres and four pharmacies, the benefit will likely be double this amount. This success is a testimony to our Mantra: ‘PEOPLE TOGETHER ARE STRONGER.’

TIE-UP

BENEFICIARY

The cornerstone of our strength is our membership. During the reporting period, we have increased our individual and family membership to 3613 and 1093 from 1225 and 389, respectively. The total revenue earned during this period is Rs. 365,970 compared to 153,700 in the last reporting year. Membership recruitment is carried out mainly via our ‘Preventative Health Check-up’ outreach camps, and the scheme is promoted with employers, semi-government bodies, and other organised groups such as retired employee associations. We urge the shareholders to facilitate this strategy by referring us to similar organisations they may have a relationship with and considering providing beneficiary cards to their employees as a brilliant welfare activity.

The number of Shareholders was 227 on 31 March 2019, which increased from 199 last year.

We are the only Cooperative society in the Healthcare which is Not-for-Profit.

You can represent us by becoming a proud member of the society and help create a sustainable citizen-owned medical enterprise.

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SERVICE OUTLET

In the last report, we submitted a proposal to the Superintendent of MMC Hospital, Guwahati, that we may be allowed to open an outlet within the hospital to sell surgical and other items below the standard retail price. The proposal was referred with a firm recommendation to the Director of Medical Education, Assam. The proposal is being presented to the Commissioner of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Assam. We will follow up with the commissioner’s office, but the bureaucratic process is time-consuming. We are still very hopeful and intend to press for a decision in this regard from the government.

	Date	Place	Number of Beneficiaries
1	14.01.2018	Latashil Bihutoli	7 Families
2	02.09.2018	New Guwahati Bihutoli	25 Families
3	08.09.2018	New Guwahati Bihutoli	30 Families
4	16.10.2018	Maligaon Accounts Colony	10 Families
5	21.10.2018	Apex Bank	28 Families
6	14.11.2018	Kindergarten	07 Families
7	04.12.2018	Ayurkalpa (Special Orthopaedic Clinic)	05 Families
8	05.12.2018	Ayurkalpa (Special Orthopaedic Clinic)	07 Families
9	12.11.2018	SBOA Public School	25 Families
10	25.11.2018	Maharshi Vidya Mandir Silpukhuri	33 Families
11	09.01.2019	Maharshi Vidya Mandir Borsojai	26 Families
12	20.01.2019	Maharshi Vidya Mandir Borsojai	10 Families
13	02.02.2019	Ghoramara	12 Families
14	19.02.2019	SBI Pensioner Association	30 Families
15	03.03.2019	SBI Pensioner Association	22 Families

We continue to conduct Community-Outreach Preventative Health Check-Up camps during the year (see Table). We use a standard protocol to check Body Mass Index (based on weight/height), Blood Pressure, and Random Blood Sugar to raise awareness of lifestyle or non-communicable diseases (such as diabetes, hypertension, and obesity) and provide preventative advice. When a diagnosis is made at these screening camps, an immense service is done to the individual concerned who otherwise would have remained undiagnosed until over signs and symptoms and developed complications. We are determined to carry out this flagship programme. Therefore, we need voluntary donations and institutional funding, which our shareholders could help us with.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH

DIVIDEND

We have raised a share capital of 24,81,500 between 2016-18 and Rs. 2,88,000.00 during 2018-19. Our current assets stand at Rs. 25,41,022.96. Indeed, we have not given any dividends to our shareholders so far, but beneficiary members of the Cooperative, including many shareholders, are reaping substantial profits using the membership cards. Our limited data for four centres alone show that over seven lacs of rupees have been received in discounts by over five hundred families in this reporting year alone. If we extrapolate this figure to cover over twenty tie-ups, the amount will likely be more than double this amount.

We are striving to achieve break-even. Our primary source of revenue is beneficiary enrollment, which we hope will take further momentum with the help of the shareholders’ active participation in the process.

We are satisfied that the net worth of the cooperative as a business is much more than its tangible assets in terms of steadily increasing beneficiary base, tie-ups, and the brand itself. We are in a solid position to develop diagnostic centres and hospitals, which will earn dividends to the shareholders and immensely benefit the beneficiaries.

Bharat Sevashram Sangha approached Assam Healthcare Society in January 2019 to see if the Cooperative could help manage their newly built multi-crore ‘Malati Sen Memorial Hospital’ at Jyotickushi, Guwahati. The Board of directors discussed the matter in January 2019. In principle, the Board endorsed the idea and found the prospect exciting. Provided there is no financial burden on society, the Board asked a few interested directors to assist Dr Jayanta B Sarma in exploring the possibility and progressing the idea to fruition. Accordingly, our team visited the site and met the officials of the SANGHA. It was decided to draft a Memorandum of Understanding to be discussed in the meetings of the Society and SANGHA to finalise the same and move forward.

FUTURE PLAN AND PROPOSAL

Continue strengthening our twin-track strategy of tying up with established service providers and developing our services.
Expand the beneficiary base; in addition to continuing with our effort, we intend to explore engaging a marketing agency or individuals on an incentive-linked commission basis.
Strengthen Ayurkalpa, Guwahati Club by engaging more specialists.
Start a retail outlet at Ayurkalpa, GU Market Complex.
Start a retail outlet at MMCH, provided we receive approval from the government.
Sign an MOU with the Bharat Sevashram Sangha-Malati Sen Memorial Hospital to operationalise and manage the hospital.
Tie up with medical insurance to company and sell medical insurance products to our beneficiaries, ensuring better benefits and ethical practice.
Publish Educational Health Guides on topics, e.g., Diabetes, Heart Disease, and Obesity.
Organise a conference on healthcare issues.
To promote a general hospital catering to the maternal, child, and routine services (Out-patients, daycare, palliative care, long-term care, and home-based care in a phased manner). We understand that developing and running a hospital requires efficiency, expertise, and resources, even small ones. Currently, the Cooperative lacks capacity. We will play a catalyst to create a consortium of like-minded benevolent organisations like Asom Jatiya Mahasabha, Red Cross, Ramakrishna Mission, or Bharat Sevashram, who share similar aspirations in the form of a Company. Such an endeavour will attract funding from large charitable bodies like TATA Trust, international agencies, and the government. Moreover, members of the general public will likely invest a small amount in shares (Crowd Funding).

We urge this assembly to firmly endorse Proposal Number 10, separately proposed as a standalone proposal, and mandate the Board of Directors to take necessary action.

PROPOSALS

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Dr. Umesh Chandra Sarma, Chairperson

Dr. Jayanta Biswa Sarma, Vice-Chairperson

Sri Sushanta Sarkar, CEO

Shri Mriganka Saikia, Dr Ramen Talukdar, Dr Manabendra Goswami, Dr Bijuli Goswami, Shri Premkanta Choudhary, Shri Surendra Nath Kalita, Advocate Dhiraj Baruah, Shri Rajendra Kumar Gupta, Smti Pranita Sarma, Shri Parameswar Sarma, Dr. Bhupendra Dev Sarmah (Co-opted), Dr. Nipen Barkatatki (Co-opted), Dr. Bhaskar Borgohain (Co-opted), Shri Umesh Chandra Boro (Co-opted)

Invitees: Sri Jogeswar Goswami, Sri Jagadish Sarma, Sri Tapash Baishya, Sri Shrichand Pareek, Sri Rana Basistha, Shri Kamal Jaiswal, Sri Manoj Sarma, Dr. Darshana Garg, Mr. Utpal Barua.

Advisory Board: Dr. T.K. Sarma, Dr. Rupali Borgohain, Dr. Gouranga Kumar Sarma, Sri Prasanta Bujar Baruah, Sri Sushanta Sarkar, Sri Khagen Saikia.

We take this opportunity to thank all our shareholders for their support in our continued progress with this pioneering approach towards ‘Citizen Driven Healthcare‘.

Any more questions? Feel free to write us a mail!

contact@assamhealthcare.coop

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Assam Healthcare Cooperative Society | G-05/2016-17 | Assam Cooperative Society Act
Phone: (+91) 90852-28863, (0361) 3574086 | Email: contact@assamhealthcare.coop
Income Tax Registration: 80G-AAFAA1459HE20231 | CSR Registration: CSR00034023
Goswami Bhawan, H. C. Road, Latasil, Uzan Bazar, Guwahati, Assam 781001

The Cooperative is a not-for-profit entity.

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