SESSION NAME: MOBILE FOR HEALTH & INCLUSION
Moderator: Sandeep Ahuja, Founder & CEO, Operation Asha
Jury Expert: Anirban Mukerji, Senior Manager – Wireless Reach Qualcomm
Panelist: Dr. Bobby John, Managing Director, Aequitas Consulting Pvt. Ltd.
Panelist: Elsa Marie D’silva , Managing Director & Co-Founder, Safecity
Panelist: Prashant Ranjan Verma, Consultant, Daisy Consortium
Health care seems more accessible than ever
The mBillionth Awards are not only meant to recognise the idea and achievements of digital change-makers but also ensure an exchange of opinions and ideas about various development issues.
In a series of parallel interactive session, the session on Mobile for Health and Inclusion was an intriguing one for both, the participants as well as panelists. The session was organised during the day-long mBillionth Awards 2016 at Eros Hotel, New Delhi, on July 23, 2016, and allowed mBillionth Awards Finalists from the categories of Health and Inclusion to present their ideas to the audience.
The session, which emphasised on the identification and treatment of medical problems by using digital tools for sustainable solutions, was moderated by Sandeep Ahuja, Founder & CEO of Operation ASHA; in the presence of Jury Expert Anirban Mukerji, Senior Manager – Wireless Reach at Qualcomm; and Panelists Dr. Bobby John, Managing Director at Aequitas Consulting Pvt Ltd, Elsa Marie D’Silva, Managing Dorector & Co-Founder of Safecity; and Prashant Ranjan Verma, Consultant at Daisy Consortium.
Dr. Tirumala Santra Mandal, Manager Corporate Communication, presented iKure Techsoft focuses on the use of technology for effective mother and child care at the last mile. Mandal provided a detailed insight into the functioning of the app and information collected and processed on it about pregnancy and other related issues, following which the data is used to counsel the subscribers.
Speech and Language Therapist Milind Sonawane introduced Meri Vaani to the audience. Meri Vaani has a database of 100 pictures and 850 cues that help people with dementia and autism to learn and remember difficult words. Sonawane asserted that it is one of the first apps to provide assistance in Hindi.
Baby Tika, presented by CEO of Windmill Infotech Limited Bushra Alam, is a cloud-based vaccination information system. It is a user-friendly app, which is available in Bangla and English. The information listed on the app is intended as guidance only and should not be used for medical advice without the supervision of a qualified physician. The reach of government-based vaccination programme is limited; and Baby Tika plays a crucial role in to bridging this gap. Baby Tika has a model of inclusion to turn entrepreneur into agents of change or ‘Tika Apa’. Tika Apas can use app and reach out to the people in the remotest areas of Bangladesh. Once a family registers with the app, the parents get regular information related to timely vaccination. For sustainability, subscription and franchise models have been adopted by the creators of the app.
Genisys Smart Water Bottle Holder is a unique hydration tracker to address the habit of low water intake by people, especially children. The innovation was presented by Sasanka Kudagoda, Co-Founder of Genisys, who elaborated that the idea behind the water bottle is to remind people to consume water at regular intervals to avoid dehydration. The Sri Lankan-based innovators described the product as basically a bottle holder that sends alerts on the phone or switches on the vibration sensor of the bottle to remind the owner to drink water.
The Vibration Series provide unique solutions through mobile apps for the deaf and blind. Prof. Arun Mehta highlighted the issues faced by a deaf or blind person in everyday life. He elucidated on the fact that smartphones can act as a channel in solving the communication and information dissemination issues for especially-abled people. Some of the apps developed under the Vibration Series are: a) Pocket SMS; b) Morse Trainer; c) dbbug V2 (a game for deaf and blind); d) Narangi 2 A slate for Deaf-blind children. The project Vibrations aims to create products that are not only user friendly but also highly cost effective in order to make the apps freely available to the deaf-blind people.
Aaksh Bani, presented by Prof. Annupam Basu, is a tablet-based communication tool to help the physically-challenged people and assure them of inclusive education. Use of such technology enables the people with disabilities to enjoy the digital world.
Digital Talking Book (DTB) provides solutions to visually impaired persons with respect to access of print media information. Binosha Thirasi, while presenting the app, made a key point on how DTB enhances the access to different printed documents and beyond the standard audio books. DTB has an edge over regular audio books, which require manual handling to find specific parts, as it provides enhanced multimedia access to the content along with voice command support for visually impaired people, allowing them quicker access and navigation.
The mBilliont Awards 2016 was organised by DEF with Principal Partner Google; Associate Partner Qualcomm; Strategic Partner Mint; Institutional Partner World Summit Award; Event Partner Inomy; Outreach Partner MP Post; and Country Partners dnet, Bytes for All, CAN and ICTA.