Take control of your own health and focus on preventive health

A few years ago, my mother was hospitalized for a basic operation in one of Bangladesh’s top hospitals. When she suffered serious complications, our doctor didn’t seem to care about what we were going through. I distinctly remember running up two flights of stairs, chasing after the doctor to get him to answer my basic questions. Several other relatives of mine with cancer were also wrongly diagnosed by doctors, resulting in countless extra visits, foreign travel, and scares for our family. Unfortunately, this is not the exception in Bangladesh; more often, it’s the rule. 

I discovered a deep distrust in Bangladesh’s current healthcare system. The middle class, in particular, is caught between an overstretched public system and expensive private system, struggling to find quality and reliable healthcare. Time with doctors is limited with an average of only 48 seconds spent with each patient per visit. Quality of diagnostics is poor with only one internationally accredited laboratory in Bangladesh. Test results are often unreliable and medications can come from poorly regulated distribution channels. Financial incentives at hospitals encourage doctors to pressure patients into unnecessary tests and procedures. An overall lack of empathy and respect at health facilities make patients feel unheard and undignified. This causes many to seek care abroad, at great personal expense to these newly middle class families.  

Inspired by my own nightmarish experience with the Bangladeshi health system, as well as lessons I learned from Bangladeshi patients and doctors, I resolved to redesign the way people get care in Bangladesh. So 5 years ago, I decided to move to Bangladesh to found Praava Health.

Praava Health is a network of family health centers raising the bar for healthcare in Bangladesh with world-class doctors, diagnostics, and technology. It is a “brick and click” healthcare model serving Bangladesh’s “missing” middle class. We have built a one-stop-shop where our doctors treat people, not illnesses. 

Here’s how we are changing healthcare delivery in Bangladesh. At our one-stop shop, patients get 15 minutes with doctors who are at the top of their field. They focus on preventing and managing illnesses before they become too severe. Instead of billing for every service, patients can purchase annual membership plans, which gives them unlimited access to doctors and reduced rates for tests -- reducing the overall cost burden of going to the doctor.

We’re also rethinking how technology can transform a doctor visit. We host the country’s first fully-integrated electronic record system and patient portal app. Patients can book appointments, access medical records, see lab results and review prescriptions anytime, anywhere. Eventually, our app will be equipped to meet all of our patients’ digital health needs, including chatting with doctors, refilling and delivering prescriptions to their home, and much more. We also offer a full range of diagnostics services including laboratory, imaging and Bangladesh's first Molecular Cancer Diagnostics, all at international standards. Our in-house model pharmacy sources medicine directly from manufacturers which ensure quality. 

There is no doubt that Bangladesh has enormous opportunities. The talented and passionate youth of this country will take Bangladesh to greater heights. My advice to young people, as a healthcare entrepreneur, is to take control of your own health and focus on preventive health - get regular health checks, have a healthy diet, and exercise regularly.

Like we say at Praava - “prevention is always better than cure, so be healthy and stay healthy.”

Sylvana Q. Sinha

Founder, Chairman, & CEO, Praava Health

(Praava Health is a network of Family Health Centers, building a better Patient experience enabled by technology. Envision a world class health care system that puts Patients first.)