The Healthy Indian Project launches chatbot for fact-checking health info

THIP Media, the media arm of The Healthy Indian Project, has developed and launched a WhatsApp chatbot for fact-checking health information.

Called Ask RAKSHA (Readily Accessible Knowledge and Support for Health Action), the chatbot helps users find answers to their health questions and verify health information. Fact-checking is provided by independent third-party organisations that are certified by the International Fact-Checking Network.

Aside from information verification, it also provides daily health tips and quizzes to evaluate a user's health knowledge.

The chatbot is currently available in English with Hindi and Bengali versions soon coming out.

WhatsApp previously partnered with the Indian government to launch the MyGov Corona Helpdesk on its platform which has been delivering accurate and verified COVID-19-related information.

Seoul-based MediHeroes to launch medical supplies, service procurement platform

South Korean company MediHeroes is set to go live with its B2B platform for procuring medical supplies and services.

Launching worldwide this 15 April, the Verify Before Buy platform features MediHeroes' unique onboarding, searching, and algorithmic matching which allow buyers and sellers to comb through massive amounts of products and services.

Through the platform, buyers can access product information, certifications, clinical evidence, business licenses and company credit checks on-site and in real-time. It also supports market expansion by allowing sellers to find distributors globally.

Founded in 2020, MediHeroes started by serving suppliers and buyers of COVID-19-related products. According to the company, its B2B platform will help buyers and sellers "save months to years of time" in procuring quality medical supplies and services.

SRL Diagnostics tries out drone delivery

Indian pathology and radiology diagnostics provider SRL Diagnostics has completed a drone delivery trial in partnership with drone delivery logistics firm Skye Air Mobility.

The four-day drone trial was conducted last week in Gurugram, a city southwest of New Delhi.

A total of nine autonomous flights carrying 5 kilograms of blood samples took off from the Fortis Memorial Research Institute to the SRL Diagnostics laboratory, covering an aerial distance of 3.8 kilometres or about 10 km. by road.

Following the trial, SRL Diagnostics CEO Anand K said they are looking forward to leverage drone technology to "reduce sample transfer time and enable faster reports while also reducing the carbon footprint".

The company will soon be rolling out drone delivery of pathology samples in several urban and remote locations across the country.