PRNewswire
Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], November 4: Star Health and Allied Insurance Company Limited (NSE: STARHEALTH) (BSE: 543412), India's leading standalone health insurer, has been safeguarding the health and well-being of millions of Indians for over 20 years through a strong focus on customer-centricity, transparency, and innovation. Reflecting its commitment to creating lasting social impact, Star Health's CSR initiatives focus on improving health outcomes through accessible healthcare, preventive interventions, and community wellness programmes. The company today highlighted the impact of its Arogya Seva Kendra (ASK) Clinics, which are expanding access to quality primary healthcare across underserved regions.
Through its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, Star Health Insurance has partnered with Piramal Foundation's Piramal Swasthya to establish and operate 32 healthcare clinics across nine states in India. Backed by Piramal Foundation's extensive experience in public system transformation and its reach of over 143 million lives across key social sectors, the initiative has made a significant impact in its first year. The 32 ASK Centres have recorded nearly 1.83 lakh beneficiary visits, with each clinic serving an average of 38 people daily, underscoring the growing demand for accessible primary healthcare services.
Operational across Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Maharashtra, the ASK clinics are located in districts with a high burden of lifestyle diseases, where hypertension prevalence among adults ranges between 20% and 40%, and diabetes prevalence reaches nearly 29% in certain geographies.
Each ASK Clinic offers MBBS doctor consultations, diagnostic tests, medicines for common ailments and chronic conditions, and health counselling, all free of cost, so families can access care without out-of-pocket spending. The clinics have conducted around 1.84 lakh lab tests for 90,000+ beneficiaries, helping doctors make timely, informed treatment decisions. The clinics have also dispensed free medicines around 1.67 lakh times. Star Health funds the capital and operational expenditure under its CSR allocation, while Piramal Swasthya manages implementation, staffing and clinical governance.
A key focus of the programme is the early detection and management of diabetes and hypertension, conditions that often remain undiagnosed until complications emerge. The clinics have screened over 82,000 beneficiaries for diabetes and nearly 1.16 lakh for hypertension. Across all consultations and tests conducted at the clinics, lifestyle diseases account for the largest share of detections at nearly 33%, underlining how much early detection depends on care being available within the community. The centres have further extended their role into preventive care, administering over 4,185 pneumococcal vaccinations to adult beneficiaries, with Pfizer supporting the vaccination component with its knowledge and expertise.
The clinics are also seeing beneficiaries return for continued care, with over 57% of them making a repeat visit. This continuity allows doctors to monitor conditions over time rather than treat them in isolation. Regular testing has also brought other conditions to light, including anaemia, which the clinics have found to be more prevalent among women than men, with most cases in the mild to moderate range. Beneficiaries diagnosed with anaemia receive appropriate treatment at the clinics.
Alongside clinical care, the programme places equal emphasis on awareness. The clinics have conducted 326 awareness sessions with over 18,500 participants so far, covering hygiene, the importance of prevention and the value of early detection, encouraging families to seek care before a condition worsens.
Speaking on the initiative, Anand Roy, Managing Director and CEO, Star Health and Allied Insurance Company Limited, said, "Access to a doctor, a diagnostic test and the right medicine should not depend on what a family can afford. Through our ASK Clinics we are taking primary healthcare closer to communities and helping people detect and manage conditions such as diabetes and hypertension early. Over 1.8 lakh beneficiary visits show us how real the need is and we will continue to build on this as we grow the network to 55+ clinics soon. As a health insurer, we believe that keeping people healthy is as important as protecting them when they fall ill, and our partnership with Piramal Swasthya helps us bring that belief to life at the grassroots. When we launched this initiative, we committed to touching a million lives, and every clinic day since has taken us closer to that promise. We are marching towards it with steady purpose."
Mr. Ajay Piramal, Chairman, Piramal Foundation, stated, "At Piramal Foundation, we believe lasting change comes from working together with committed partners and strengthening systems that serve communities in need. Our partnership with Star Health reflects this shared commitment, with clinics across nine states recording over 1.8 lakh beneficiary visits in less than a year. This is an encouraging beginning, and we look forward to building on this progress to serve many more communities".
The impact is visible in individual lives. Prasad Sandhya, 51, a reporter from Kallur in Andhra Pradesh and the sole earning member of his family, had been living with diabetes for 15 years. As medicine costs rose, he found it difficult to continue treatment regularly. When he first visited the ASK Clinic in Kurnool, his random blood sugar was recorded at around 350 mg/dL. At the clinic, he received free consultations and medicines, along with regular counselling from doctors and nurses on medication adherence, diet, and lifestyle changes. With consistent treatment and guidance, his random blood sugar reading has since come down to 165 mg/dL.
"Having a clinic like ASK near my home is truly a boon. Free lab tests, doctor consultations and medicines have made a big difference in my life. Earlier, it was very difficult for me to manage the cost of treatment, but now I can take care of my health without financial stress," said Prasad Sandhya. He now encourages his neighbours and colleagues to visit the clinic for regular health check-ups.
Building on this progress, Star Health plans to expand the ASK network to 25+ cities and towns, taking the total to 55+ clinics and 15+ States by the end of FY27. Clinic operating hours may be extended based on beneficiaries' requests in a phased manner, alongside regular mobile community outreach programmes to build greater health awareness. Through the initiative, Star Health and Piramal Swasthya aim to reach over a million lives.
About Star Health and Allied Insurance: Star Health and Allied Insurance Co. Ltd. (BSE: 543412) (NSE: STARHEALTH) is the market leader in standalone health insurance in India. The Company commenced operations in 2006 as India's first Standalone Health Insurance Company. Star Health Insurance provides Health, Personal Accident and Travel Insurance to its customers. The Company has grown to emerge as one of the preferred health insurance companies in India with several pioneering products and services to its credit. With customer-centricity at its core, the Company has developed superior and innovative product offerings, service capabilities and a seamless claims management process. Star Health offers tailor made products to cater to needs such as, cancer, diabetes, cardiac illnesses and to specific segments such as senior citizens, women and children. Star Health is India's first health insurance company to settle over 1 crore claims.
Star Health and Allied Insurance Co. Ltd. has a strong multi-channel distribution network of 900+ offices, over 8.5 lakh+ agents and robust bancassurance and financial institution partners. The Company has 16,000+ network hospitals and 18,500+ employees.
Talk to Star: helping customers plan hospitalisation with confidence: To make planned hospitalisation simpler and less stressful, Star Health has introduced Talk to Star, a dedicated pre-admission guidance service for customers. Before admission, customers can call Talk to Star to understand their policy coverage, check network hospital options, clarify the cashless process and know which documents to keep ready. The service is designed to help customers avoid last-minute confusion, reduce uncertainty at the time of admission and proceed with greater clarity on available benefits and next steps. With guidance available in regional languages, customers and their families can make more informed decisions and focus on treatment and recovery. Customers planning hospitalisation are encouraged to call Talk to Star at 7200 222 333 between 8 am and 8 pm to get guided support before admission.
For more information, visit www.starhealth.in.
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