Glocal, though founded as an Indian technologyled social venture to cater to rural healthcare, has now become a true global entity by merging into UpHealth. What does this transformation mean for Glocal as well as the patient community?
Yes, that’s true. Glocal has become truly global after the merger with UpHealth and we have become live on the NYSE. This has actually strengthened our position as a global player and this will reflect in all the socially relevant healthcare projects that we have been pursuing in several parts of the world.
For instance, we have signed up as consortiums for hospitals and other healthcare projects across continents, including Africa, Asia and even the Americas. As a part of this, one major project — 260 e-PHCs (primary health centres) in the Republic of Congo — will be completed and run in the next three months. We have also signed consortiums for similar and even bigger projects in countries like Namibia, Mongolia, Philippines and the US.
In India, we are now completing a proper 200-bed acute care hospital for the government of Nagaland. This is, in fact, a breakthrough project which was developed out of an innovative model prompted by the Covid-19 crisis after the first wave.
While we were working constantly to improve our concept of digital dispensary, which can be installed in a small space of 200 sq.ft, sometimes even less, within no time, we realised the importance of being prepared to set up even bigger hospitals as quickly if the need arises. So, this project, which we could complete in exactly three months’ time, was another technology-driven leap forward in response to the COVID crisis.
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