CEO Insights Magazine

Life hands second chances to only the luckiest. Despite the moral responsibility surrounding drug abuse, there is a frequent wonder about what would have happened if doctors were able to save the legendary actor Heath Ledger from his accidental overdose. Ledger has just finished filming his role as the Joker in the movie The Dark Knight, which subsequently took him to the pinnacle of Hollywood with awards ranging from the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor to the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor and the BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor. It’s a sure bet that the world missed a few more wonderful characters on screen.

In truth, the risk of a medical emergency is a sword of Damocles hanging over everyone’s head, especially given the contemporary lifestyle choices. Even during a life-threatening medical emergency, doctors often feel that their hands are tied when it comes to giving patients medications without knowing the medical history or running investigations. When time is of the essence, this situation presents one of the most drastic challenges in healthcare. Rajanikant M Torgal, Founder & CEO, Lifeonplus Technologies learned about this crater in healthcare the hard way, by facing a similar situation himself. When he was handed a second chance in life, he set off on a journey to solve this age-old challenge. In an exclusive interview with CEO Insights Asia magazine, Rajanikant talks about the turning points in his life, the events that led to founding Lifeonplus Technologies, and much more.

Before your entrepreneurial venture, you had a highly successful MNC career in the telecommunications industry. What was the turning point in your career?

The turning point in my career came in 2010 during a personal health crisis. At the time, I was working for a Canada-based company that had sent me to Seoul, South Korea. During my stay at a hotel in the city, I experienced a significant health emergency that required immediate medical attention. Despite being in a highly developed city with advanced medical facilities, delays in treatment and communication gaps resulted in inadequate care. Thankfully, I survived, but the whole experience left a lasting impact on me. I realized a critical gap in healthcare ecosystems worldwide.

This realization altered my career path. During my seven-and-a-half-hour flight back, with just a few pieces of paper at hand, I drafted a basic model to bridge these gaps. From that moment in 2011, I fully committed myself to extensive research and development. I conducted surveys, performed due diligence, and brainstormed in pursuit of the right technologies to create the impact I envisioned. Over the past 14 years, this journey has been filled with challenges like market setbacks, financial losses, and tough lessons, but my passion never wavered. I remained steadfast in my goal, which is to bridge the systemic gaps that I personally experienced.

What were the major gaps that you recognized throughout this experience?

According to WHO, delayed medication and communication gaps account for 50 percent of hospital deaths. This screams the importance of PHR (Personal Health Records), which I’ll explain through three case studies. In the first case, studies show that 98 percent of patients don’t return for a suggested follow-up after an OP consultation, leading to significant underlying consequences.

In the second scenario, patients often face health issues at odd hours, requiring emergency visits to doctors unfamiliar with their medical history. Without access to prior diagnoses or treatments, the new doctor is left with incomplete information, leading to neutral treatments or repeat tests, which are both time-consuming and potentially risky.

The third and most critical case involves emergencies like accidents or cardiac issues where the patient is unconscious or unable to communicate. In most cases, doctors hesitate, rightfully so, to intervene immediately without knowing the patient’s condition or allergies. This delay, driven by the potential risk of adverse reactions, often proves fatal and reflects the dire need for accessible and accurate health information during emergencies. These scenarios underscore the urgent need to bridge the communication gaps in healthcare.

Over the years, you have devised several solutions to bridge the gap. Tell us about your entrepreneurial journey.

Since my aforementioned personal experience, I have been persistent in developing technologies to bridge healthcare gaps. Initially, I created a plastic health card, but it failed to gain traction due to the niche market. Next, I introduced an NFC model, but its high cost of the reader or NFC enabled mobile handset (₹1.2–1.5 lakh) made it unsustainable. I then worked on an RFID-based system, but the lack of infrastructure, like RFID readers in hospitals, rendered it ineffective. I also developed a USB-based universal card. This device allowed doctors worldwide to access patient records within 30 seconds without internet or special readers. While it showed promise, the high costs of USBs and reliance on China led to business challenges, forcing me to close that chapter.

However, I refused to give up. After a brief pause, I resumed with a smarter solution, combining RFID, NFC, and QR code technology into a single card. This patented QR code technology is integrated with blockchain for enhanced security and privacy. To further strengthen Lifeonplus Technologies' offering and data protection, we comply with the U.S. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and India's IT Act. With high internet and mobile penetration, this innovation ensures universal access to health records, empowering doctors worldwide to make informed decisions quickly and effectively. This remains a significant milestone in my journey.

You are creating an ecosystem beyond health records. What are the different components of this comprehensive healthcare ecosystem?

The need for preventive healthcare is an undisputed reality. To address this, we partnered with leading labs across India to offer cost-effective diagnostic services for our members. In the process, we have been on a mission to provide them with the advantage of world-class technologies. For instance, invasive methods like blood tests are still common in India. Let me tell you a personal experience. A non-invasive scan in Singapore revealed my cholesterol level as 457 in just seconds. I could hardly believe it, mainly because they delivered the results in seconds. But this was later validated through traditional tests in India, which took hours. Hence, we have now shifted to these non-invasive technologies that screen vitals in seconds or minutes, enabling quick health checkups.

Additionally, recognizing the prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs, responsible for 70 percent of global deaths), we developed solutions like vascular age measurement to assess blood vessel elasticity and blockage levels within a minute. We also introduced technologies that visualize blood movement, shape, and speed to predict future health issues. Furthermore, we launched express medical tests via app-based technology, conducting 10 tests, including cholesterol, hemoglobin, and BP, in just 10 minutes. Most importantly, these come with automatic record storage. We also developed 'Body Recharge Stations' to assess and optimize vital energy levels, using Acugraph screening and non-invasive treatments to recharge the body’s cells.Furthermore, our Food Power Detox Technology identifies uric acid and cholesterol levels through water-based analysis, while our sleep induction system uses sound and light therapy to induce deep sleep naturally within minutes. We are also integrating kiosks for remote areas, where users can access health reports, prescriptions, and medications instantly, resembling an ATM experience.

Last but not least, combining AI with advanced healthcare tools, our application scans vital signs, from six to 32 parameters, via facial recognition, enabling precise assessments of cholesterol, sugar levels, biomarkers, and more. With all these innovations unified in one ecosystem, we aim to deliver cutting-edge healthcare solutions to corporates and individuals alike.

Given your entrepreneurial and leadership experience, what would be your advice to budding healthcare leaders?

My advice to industry leaders is simple, ‘achieving innovation and development requires collaboration’.Leaders must think outside the box and prioritize partnerships. Combined efforts lead to faster, safer, and more cost-effective solutions, driving progress across industries.