In the year 2021, Vikas Chauhan, a serial entrepreneur notable for co-founding 1MG, embarked on a new venture to tackle a significant challenge in the healthcare sector. Following his successful exit from 1MG, Chauhan, alongside Ankur Gigras, a key figure at Tata 1MG, delved into the healthcare domain, searching for innovative opportunities. Their quest led them to the realm of surgical interventions. With the addition of Dr. Aman Priya Khanna, a minimally invasive surgeon, to their team, the foundations for HexaHealth were laid.
Leveraging their experiences and insights from 1MG, Chauhan, Gigras, and Khanna initiated the development of HexaHealth, aiming to streamline the surgical intervention process. Their goal was to simplify the patient’s journey through healthcare transactions, hospitalizations, and cashless claims. Much like ordering groceries from the comfort of one’s home, HexaHealth envisioned making the surgical intervention experience hassle-free.
Ankur Gigras, Co-founder and CEO at HexaHealth, stated, “Once a patient has been recommended for surgery, they struggle with the next steps. Surgery is a stressful time for the patient and they need maximum support. At Hexa, we want to become a patient’s trusted digital partner by keeping them at the centre of decision making and helping them in every stage of their hospitalization journey.”
HexaHealth’s comprehensive services range from helping patients identify the right doctor and hospital within their budget to facilitating financing options, providing on-site support, arranging transportation to the hospital, assisting with insurance procedures, and ensuring access to post-operative care and consultations. The overarching vision for HexaHealth is to emerge as a one-stop platform catering to the varied needs of patients undergoing hospitalization.
Solving a Complex Yet Promising Opportunity
The Lancet Commission for Global Surgery revealed that meeting the surgical needs of 100,000 individuals in low and middle-income countries, like India, requires 5,000 surgeries. However, data from a pan-India surgery market report highlighted that in India, only 1,463 surgeries are conducted per 100,000 individuals, accounting for just 29% of the required 5,000 per 100,000. This gap signifies a substantial untapped opportunity in the surgical domain.
Yet, this opportunity is as intricate as it is extensive. Unlike ordering food or other common services in India, the surgical process involves significant complexities. It encompasses hospitalization episodes that necessitate pre-authorization from insurance providers. Additionally, various facets such as evaluating hospitals, assessing credibility, verifying expertise, and ensuring availability come into play.
HexaHealth seeks to differentiate itself by placing the patient’s needs at the forefront and providing objective and transparent guidance. The company’s goal is to establish an expansive network of hospitals across India while introducing digital solutions to enhance patient care throughout the surgical journey. Addressing information asymmetry and offering comprehensive information to patients with limited healthcare knowledge is another pivotal focus for HexaHealth.
The HexaHealth Journey with WebEngage Startup Program
The WebEngage Startup Program played a crucial role in assisting HexaHealth’s rapid growth. By providing six months of free credits and valuable expertise, the program effectively reduced the learning curve associated with implementation and adoption. This support was instrumental for HexaHealth, which initially had fewer than 500,000 monthly website visits.
Ankur Gigras emphasized the significance of the WebEngage Startup Program, stating, “When we started contemplating an automation partner our website visits were not even five lakh a month. We were then told by various marketing specialists and experts that we should at least reach a threshold of one million visits a month to generate ROI.”
With the help of the WebEngage retention stack, hands-on success management, and expert guidance, HexaHealth exceeded this threshold, achieving successful results even earlier than most startups.
Promoting Healthy Growth
HexaHealth is on a mission to become the most trusted platform for digitizing surgical decision-making, making quality and affordable hospitalization care accessible to millions of Indians. The company places a strong emphasis on ensuring that patients are well-informed, educated about their expectations, and cared for throughout their surgical journey.
By providing detailed information about doctors and hospitals and offering support for financial and insurance matters, HexaHealth empowers patients to make informed choices, reducing their anxiety levels and enabling healthcare providers to deliver exceptional care.
As of now, HexaHealth has onboarded over 500 NABH Hospitals, 1,500 expert doctors, and has served more than 25,000 patients. The company is currently operational in five cities, including Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune, and Jaipur, with plans to expand to Hyderabad and Kolkata shortly.
HexaHealth is actively working on brand partnerships with 150+ hospitals across additional regions such as Lucknow, Guwahati, Bhubaneshwar, Indore, and Punjab. The company aims to serve 40 cities within the next two years.
HexaHealth’s journey is a testament to the potential of emerging healthcare technology startups in India. The company’s commitment to transparency, patient-centric care, and innovative solutions positions it as a vital player in the healthcare ecosystem.
This article is part of a series titled “Retentioneering,” where pioneering startups share their experiences working with the WebEngage Startup Program, highlighting how it contributed to their retention efforts.