Worried About Recovery Post Hospital Discharge? This Startup Can Help Bengaluru-based Sukino Healthcare offers patients post operative healthcare and chronic healthcare management services

The inception story of most startups sounds rather familiar: an individual in the throes of a difficulty without a way out in sight sets out to build a solution on their own. This is also how Rajinish Menon came to found Bengaluru-based Sukino Healthcare in 2015 to offer patients transitional care between hospital discharge and optimal recovery.

"The concept of a care continuum was inspired by my personal experience of my mother's frequent hospitalisations. Our healthcare model offers patients access to comprehensive services typically found in a hospital setting, such as physicians, trained mid-level nurses, specialised physiotherapists and healthcare counsellors," explains Menon, co-founder, Sukino Healthcare.

The healthtech startup's current services include post-hospitalisation recovery and rehabilitation, which are available through two primary models: managed care (where patients are monitored at home following the same treatment plan as their primary physician's) and continuum care at hospital-like facilities.

So what does this mean? Say, an individual recently underwent a serious surgery for a chronic illness and is now being discharged. They seek Sukino Healthcare's help for the recovery process and the company offers them two options of receiving care: either at one of its facilities or at the patient's home. Then the Sukino Healthcare team of doctors and therapists chalks out a full treatment plan, starting with a thorough assessment of the patient, including discussions with treating physicians and family members, to outline the patients' goals and needs. The patient is then matched with a 24/7 healthcare assistant based on their preferences, who acts as a companion to make them feel more comfortable. Once the recovery process is in full swing, a round-the-clock team of ICU-trained nurses, caregivers, clinical dieticians and psychologists works together to provide comprehensive care to the patient and even their family.

"We encountered many challenges in the initial days, a key one being receiving acceptance for our model. Most consultants and patients preferred the traditional model of home care with human resources. However, we not only fulfilled their needs but also provided additional services to gain their trust. Secondly, when we established our centres, it was challenging to hire competent clinical talent as top consultants and nurses preferred to work for branded specialist hospitals. We had to repeatedly convince them about our new concept, but eventually, most of them agreed due to our comprehensive and thoughtful service modules and investor profile," states Menon.

Fortunately, fundraising did not present significant obstacles. The company claims to have actively pursued investors who demonstrated the necessary patience and resilience required for a long-term venture, with names like Kris Gopalakrishnan and Mohandas Pai becoming early backers. Last week, the company secured an equity investment of INR 50 crore from Stakeboat Capital.

Patience is something Menon values not just in investors but also in entrepreneurs towards understanding the intricacies of the healthcare industry. According to him, they musn't blindly emulate successful models and valuations and promptly build a tech component without taking time to understand its efficacy. "It is also crucial for entrepreneurs to seek the right kind of funding and prioritise profitable growth over growth at any cost," he says.