'Catering to the medical health needs of the employees, the organizations are even putting more effort and ensuring excellent health and wellbeing'

Health and overall well-being have gained a priority in the lives of people during the pandemic. People are getting more concerned and aware about their health now than ever before. The present-day health challenges and the global pandemic hit have also grabbed the attention of employers which made them focus on the concept of occupational health. To maintain and promote the physical, mental and social health of the employees and their families, Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) is continuously making its efforts in guiding employers for a safe and healthy workplace and preventing workplace-related injuries or illnesses through a variety of actions.

Tell us about your organization and the work it does in the Occupational Safety and Health domain.

Medulance is a leading emergency response service provider. Backed by a fleet of more than 7500 ambulances, guaranteed round-the-clock, 24x7 medical transport support facility, the company is expanding its reach. It is also ensuring the quick medical repatriation possible for the patients. With high-tech-enabled apps, Medulance is efficiently delivering its services in more than 40 cities and making a significant impact in the emergency healthcare landscape. Initiated in the year 2017 by Pranav Bajaj and Ravjot Singh, the company is working towards building an emergency response in the nation more accessible, affordable, and efficient while offering GPS-enabled technology to book the nearest ambulance available. The umbrella services provided by Medulance respond to any medical emergency in a minimum turnaround time irrespective of its location; be it any manufacturing unit or workshop in any remote area/office space. Medulance caters to all on-site emergencies and operates via a dedicated 24x7helpline number, the first line in the continuum of health care. The in-house medical rooms/ on-site mini-clinics for any emergencies at the workplace and the first aid training by professionals for white and blue collared employees are met on priority by our teams, especially for the people working in the offices. People often get into different hazards while they work with machinery and chemicals, so we reach them to provide first-aid training for basic burns, choking, broken bones, seizures, diabetes, strokes, bug bites/snake bites, etc. Geolocation tracking, digitized records, and the new age technologies have made it easier to facilitate a quick, immediate response. Medulance is a one-stop destination for all healthcare needs like teleconsultation, diagnosis, pharmacy mental wellness, home healthcare, etc.

How do you believe the focus on Occupational Health has changed in the ‘New Normal’ in the aftermath of the pandemic?

Health and overall well-being have gained a priority in the lives of people during the pandemic. People are getting more concerned and aware about their health now than ever before. The present-day health challenges and the global pandemic hit have also grabbed the attention of employers which made them focus on the concept of occupational health. To maintain and promote the physical, mental and social health of the employees and their families, Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) is continuously making its efforts in guiding employers for a safe and healthy workplace and preventing workplace-related injuries or illnesses through a variety of actions. The on-site clinics and in-house medical rooms are a few efforts in this direction. The organizations are focusing on providing medical check-ups, and healthcare camps for their employees and covering their families while ensuring they get the best of the medical services even during work-from-home situations. Due to remote work challenges and less social interaction, the companies are conducting regular workshops and sessions to promote the social health of their employees. The medical insurance policies, healthcare packages, free health checkups, and free medical consultations are some effective steps taken by the organizations in this direction.

What new changes do organizations need to incorporate to ensure the safety and wellbeing of their employees?

Catering to the medical health needs of the employees, the organizations are even putting more effort and ensuring excellent health and wellbeing during work from home situations as well. MeduAlert, which is Medulance Healthcare’s corporate program, helps the organizations with direct access to a dedicated emergency helpline service for their employees. MeduAlert provides a wide range of healthcare services such as inter-city ambulance services to its registered employees and their families. The MeduAlert program has so far assisted approximately 5000 lives at an average response time of 20 minutes, covering all major cities in the country. It’s a one-stop solution to all healthcare needs of the employees which covers ambulance services, teleconsultation, diagnostic services, e-pharmacy, home healthcare, and elderly care support. Making mental well-being a priority and concern for the employees, MeduAlert is a dedicated step that focuses on the mental wellness sessions especially crafted and customized by the trained professionals after analyzing the mental health of their employees. Regular surveys and research are conducted to study and analyze the psychic and mental health of the employees. Ensuring the social health of the employees, the stress management sessions, regular tips to eliminate stress, and overcoming depression are a few measures taken in this direction.

What kind of products and solutions do you provide to help organisations mitigate these challenges?

To meet the challenges of safe and healthy workplaces, MeduAlert is a dedicated emergency helpline for the employees and their families in India that responds to a medical emergency in a prompt manner. MeduAlert provides a wide range of medical facilities including intercity ambulance services. Approximately 5000 plus registered users from major cities have availed benefits with an average response time of 20 minutes. MeduAlert maintains a 100% answer rate for the calls it receives daily with recording and an average answering time of 30 seconds. Certain key integrations of the technology have also helped us in better preparedness and decreasing response time of answering to emergencies. The stationed ambulances at various locations in the cities such as near gas stations, grocery stations or fuel stations etc., for manufacturing units to avoid delays in providing medical services is a milestone that has been achieved so far. Responding to any medical emergency and reaching the emergency are driving with this product. The in-house medical rooms/ on-site mini-clinics for any emergencies at the workplace and the first aid training by professionals for white and blue collared employees are met on priority by our teams, especially for the people working in the offices. To provide first-aid training for basic burns, choking, broken bones, seizures, diabetes, strokes, bug bites/snake bites, etc. Geolocation tracking, digitized records, and the new age technologies have made it easier to facilitate a quick, immediate response.

Interviewed by Adeesh Sharma