Annual Report 2017-18

We had our first Annual General Assembly in May 2017. This report outlines the progress made since then and provides an update on our promises from the last general assembly. Shri Suren Kalita, the CEO, has stepped down, and Shri Mriganka Saikia took charge as the CEO on September 2017. We thank Shri Kalita for contributing to the cooperative during its nascent stage.

AYURKALPA

As promised in the last annual assembly, it was formally opened on August 14 2017 and became fully operational on September 1 2018. The clinic is strategically situated in the city’s heart in Guwahati Club, next to St. Mary’s School. It could serve a very densely populated residential area within walking distance. Although located on the first floor, there is a provision for a lift. The clinic has three doctor’s chambers, a modern reception and sitting area and a phlebotomy room. According to the vision of the society to create a model clinic, we have subscribed to an electronic booking system (Practo), allowing our patients to book and cancel appointments online. This system has proved highly beneficial to running the clinic efficiently as the concerned doctor is automatically notified before a booked appointment, allowing them to plan and efficiently manage time. Patients seem to like the system; most patients are self-booked via Practo. We have established a model that needs to be nurtured to make an impact; this will only be possible through the enthusiasm and participation of the shareholders.

We have been allotted a 300-square-foot space in GU’s newly built modern market complex. As soon as the complex is ready, we will open our second Ayurkalpa Clinic. We hope that Ayurkalpa will establish itself as a trusted brand representing a modern, ethical, and affordable primary care centre serving thousands in different locations of the city and the state in the future.

TIE-UP

As announced during the last general assembly, we had only one tie-up, i.e. with ‘Ayursundra One Stop Medical Centre’ (OSMC), which has been offering a handsome discount to our beneficiaries. Today, we are proud to share that by the end of March 2018, we have established links with Medanta, The Medicity, Apollo, Indraprastha, both in New Delhi, and North East Cancer Care Hospital, Down Town and Ayursundra Hospital in Guwahati, where our members enjoy discounts. Similarly, in addition to Ayursundra OSMC, we have a tie-up with Primus and Panacea, where members can avail themselves of significant discounts on diagnostic blood tests and X-rays, CT scans, and MRIs. This success is a testimony to ‘PEOPLE TOGETHER ARE STRONGER‘.

BENEFICIARY

The cornerstone of our strategy is rapidly expanding the beneficiary base. From September 17 onwards, our beneficiary base steadily expanded (see Figure). In addition to enrolling individual families via our ‘Preventative Health Check-up’ community outreach camps, we are approaching private employers, semi-government bodies and other organised groups such as retired employees associations to enrol beneficiaries in groups. We have succeeded, e.g., OLA has sanctioned 500 beneficiary memberships for their high-performing drivers. A similar proposal was submitted to Guwahati Municipal Corporation urging the authority to extend the benefit of our membership to its employees as a staff welfare activity. We encourage the shareholders to facilitate this strategy by urging similar organisations they may have relationships with to provide our beneficiary cards to their employees, which is an intelligent welfare activity.

From September onwards, our beneficiary enrollment has been increasing steadily. From the data below, we recruit, on average, three members per family unit, earning Rs.400 (200+100+100). That is, one membership earns us Rs.125. The production cost per card is about Rs.35-40; we compensate self-employed bulk recruiters 10-15% for their expenses. Engaging a professional agency to promote the beneficiary scheme may be wise. We can afford a margin to the agency if it allows us to expand the base rapidly.

Total Individuals 1225, Family Units 389, earned Rs.153,700 (per beneficiary Rs.125)

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SERVICE OUTLET

To extend affordability to as many people as possible, particularly to the most vulnerable and needy, like the patients undergoing treatment in government hospitals, we have 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 not freely available at discounted rates. The office of the Superintendent has forwarded our proposal with solid recommendations to the Director of Medical Education in Assam. We are awaiting a favourable response from the higher authority.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH

Date	Place	Beneficiaries	Share Holders
12.11.2017	Kindergarten, 6th Mile	31 Families
14.11.2017	Kindergarten, Sundorbari	05 Families
16.12.2017	Kindergarten, Jonali	15 Families
17.12.2017	District Library	30 Families	One
18.12.2017	Swahid Bhawan	3 Families
26.01.2018	Ayurkalpa	3 Families
30.01.2018	Assam Engineering College	10 Families	Two
01.02.2018	Guwahati University	22 Families	Two
04.02.2018	Hazarika Para	4 Families
25.02.2018	Lakhidhar Bora Khetra	17 Families
31.03.2018	Guwahati University	22 Families

We have conducted 11 Community-Outreach Preventative Health Check-Up camps within the last five months (see Table). This is a commendable achievement, but it is outstanding that these camps are organised in collaboration with local community groups or institutions, costing only a nominal cost to society. Our few volunteer executives often contribute from their own pockets and never bother to claim expenses. In these camps, using a standard protocol, we check BMI (which is based on weight/height), Blood Pressure and Random Blood Sugar (provided free by our partnering labs), which allows the doctor to raise awareness and provide preventative advice against non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and obesity, and, also, to make the early diagnosis at times. As outlined in our first brochure, this is our flagship programme, which we should be proud of. However, we need voluntary donations and institutional funding to make it sustainable, which our esteemed shareholders could help us with.

DIVIDENDS

We are aware that the society cannot announce dividends this year. Still, many of us are already reaping substantial dividends using membership cards in diagnostic laboratories and hospitals. Many members are receiving expressions of gratitude for this. We will collect the total discounts the members availed from our empanelled centres, which we hope will be substantial. This can be a cash dividend to those in their hour of need. We strive to achieve a break-even point soon, as cash flow from beneficiary enrollment and other services will likely increase. In the meantime, we are satisfied that the net worth of the cooperative has increased considering current fixed assets, steadily increasing beneficiary base allowing us substantial leverage to negotiate with third parties in addition to a strong base for future services, direct marketing of medical and health-related items, and, also in terms of goodwill and reputation earned.

PROPOSALS

- In the coming year, we will continue strengthening our twin-track strategy of tie-ups with established service providers and realistically develop our model services.
- Expanding the beneficiary base will be our most important activity. To this end, we will try to partner with an ethical marketing agency and continue with efforts such as community preventative health camps.
- Make Ayurkalpa and Two at the GU market complex operational.
- Try to open outlets to sell medical and surgical items where possible.
- Explore the possibility of obtaining an agency to sell medical insurance and develop other relevant services for our beneficiaries.
- Patient educational activities in the form of an annual conference and publications
- Create at least a vision, if not a DPR, for a general hospital catering to maternal and child services and routine services like general surgery, medicine, etc. We understand that developing and running a hospital, even if small, requires efficiency, expertise, and resources unavailable to the cooperative and unlikely to be available shortly. We will catalyse a consortium of like-minded benevolent organisations like Satra Mahasabha, Red Cross, or Ramakrishna Mission that share similar aspirations. Such an endeavour in the form of a not-for-profit company will attract funding from large charitable bodies like TATA Trust, international agencies and government; moreover, members of the general public are likely to invest a small amount in shares.

We urge this assembly to strongly endorse these proposals and mandate the Board of Directors to take necessary actions.

MANAGEMENT

Dr Umesh Chandra Sarma, Chairperson

Dr Jayanta Biswa Sarma, Vice-Chairperson

Shri Mriganka Saikia (CEO), 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 Bhart Kumar, Sri Rana Basistha, Shri Kamal Jaiswal, Sri Manoj Sarma, Miss. Darshana Garg.

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

No. of Shareholders: 199 as of 31.3.18

We take this opportunity to thank all our shareholders for their support and company in such an innovative and groundbreaking initiative, ‘Citizen Driven Healthcare, ‘ to make a difference in real life for our fellow citizens.

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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