Praava Health, which introduced the first patient app in Bangladesh, has set a milestone as the fastest-growing healthcare provider in the country.
Praava Health is the only healthcare provider in Bangladesh that offers services digitally, in addition to clinics.
The digital health service has already completed an impressive sixth year filled with both success and challenges.
The founder, chair and CEO of Praava Health, Sylvana Q Sinha, discusses the known, unknown and extraordinary success of Praava Health.
What are Praava Health's key achievements over the past six years?
The biggest achievement is that we have served more than 500,000 patients in this short period of time. I am very grateful that patients now trust us and keep coming back. We are grateful to serve the community.
We have also achieved many milestones along the way. Our labs are the sixth international standard in Bangladesh, which is not easy to maintain. We try to uphold this high quality.
We are also the only healthcare provider in Bangladesh that is a one-stop shop for both in-clinic and digital counselling. We introduced the first patient app in Bangladesh.
We also offer telemedicine, pharmacy and healthcare tools, and newer versions will be released, which are invaluable.
What challenges did you face in all these years?
I have encountered many challenges and ups and downs. For any start-up, it is certainly challenging. But every challenge comes with an opportunity. These challenges have taught us discipline and shaped our business-economic goals.
In general, what challenges did you face after the pandemic?
Firstly, we gained a lot of experience in patient acquisition during the pandemic. We served over 200,000 patients in less than a year and a half due to the pandemic.
The biggest challenge was understanding what other services Praava could offer beyond Covid-19 tests.
We are grateful that post-pandemic, our patient count has crossed 500,000.
During the pandemic, Praava Health offered Covid testing. What are your primary services now?
Praava is a one-stop solution for a variety of patient needs. We offer services from family doctors, physiotherapy, psychotherapy, psychiatry, cardiology, gastrology, to orthopaedics.
We provide a range of lab testing, from basic to advanced pathology tests. We also offer home care that includes telemedicine and e-pharmacy.
What is your plan to improve customer service?
We always aim to introduce specialities to Praava. We have over 50 specialist doctors here. We have forged partnerships with national and international specialists.
Next month, we plan to collaborate with specialists from India as well.
Praava has a global certification for lab testing, unique in Bangladesh. What is its significance for providers?
When I first decided to start Praava in Bangladesh, I noticed locals had several complaints about doctors. However, I realized that there were limited players in the market, which is why I entered. Many developing countries face similar challenges.
Doctors base their diagnoses on the results these machines produce. It is not necessarily their fault. It is vital for patients to understand their results. That is the only way they can learn.
People are often sceptical when they hear about certain doctors or tests. This mistrust arises from a lack of mutual trust. We hope that along with Praava, other healthcare providers will elevate their standards and regain public trust.
What steps has Praava taken to provide world-class services?
Our labs operate according to international standards. Our doctors practice medicine based on international protocols and best practices.
We follow WHO guidelines for all our facilities in Bangladesh. We will be offering more than 100 types of treatments so that patients can access a wide range of care.
