Say cheese

Health check-ups, believe it or not, can now be gifted.

The next time you want to give a gift to someone in Bangalore, you can gift a health check-up package. You don't have to drag anybody off to a clinic, though. The gift looks like a purchase cheque, and you can buy it off the shelf.

G Krishnamurthy, CEO, PeopleHealth, a consumer-oriented health services organisation based in Bangalore, is convinced that it is an excellent idea.

"Preventive healthcare is gaining in prominence," he explains. PeopleHealth offers a portfolio of integrated health management solutions, and counts many IT and ITeS firms among its clients.

The packages are tailored to the needs of both corporates and individuals, and are available at outlets like Health & Glow, owned by the RPG group. The firm is also in talks with other such specialist health stores too.

There's plenty of variety to choose from. There are packages with such snappy names as Be Smart, Stay Upbeat, Fit & Fine, Hale & Hearty. It's actually an age segmentation scheme.

Hale & Hearty, thus, is recommended for people above 40, while Fit & Fine has been designed for people between 31 and 40, and Stay Upbeat is for people below 30. Be Smart is for beginners who might want to try out the idea, and is therefore attractively priced.

"We are the only one in the country offering such healthcare packages that are pre-defined, pre-planned and pre-paid," says Krishnamurthy.

The marketing spiel for these packages goes something like this. Job-related stress, unhealthy eating habits, inadequate rest and high levels of pollution are getting to us all. So if you want to do a good turn to a friend, help him/her overcome inertia through a package that can detect danger early enough.

As for the actual check-ups, they are done in a non-clinic ambience at nine fairly well-known clinics or hospitals across Bangalore. "People need an exclusive ambience for the check-ups," says Krishnamurthy.

Each plan covers all vital organs for any symptoms of illness. Dental check-ups, though, are not included.

For that, there's a separate plan. Say cheese.