AXA in India boosts telemedicine helpline with free specialist teleconsultation feature

New Delhi - March 10, 2022

To support its aim of expanding health and protection across all its geographies, notably through innovative services, AXA has added a free specialist teleconsultation feature to its telemedicine CSR initiative SAATH (Supportive Action Across Telemedicine and Healthcare).

SAATH is a ‘One AXA’ public health initiative between AXA France Vie, AXA GO Business Operations, and AXA XL; and provides free general and specialist consultation to more than 25 crore people in four states in India: Delhi, Haryana, Maharashtra and Rajasthan.

Dr. Alfred Beil, AXA’s Group Chief Medical Officer, (PhD. in cancer research) commented: “Prevention is underestimated; it stops a disease from becoming cost consuming and life threatening. Prevention can be achieved through technology-aided healthcare like SAATH which will eventually save lives.”

SAATH offers specialists in five areas: Dermatology, Gynecology, Pediatrics, Orthopedics and Oncology. Dr. V.K.Paul, a member of Niti Aayog, commended on the helpline, describing it as: “Telemedicine is now a way of life in the context of Covid-19 across the world and particularly in India.”

Ms. Odette Cesari, Head of Business Development at AXA Life and Health International Solutions, added: “It is a fantastic tool that adds to other impactful initiatives. Health has always been a high priority for AXA in all geographies. It is our mission as a major insurance company to contribute positively to society.”

The introduction of specialists will help to provide relevant expert consultation for critical health issues, especially to the vulnerable.

Mr. Ankur Nijhawan, CEO of AXA France Vie India Reinsurance branch, said: “With women, children and the elderly being our key concerns, specialist care will have a significant impact on communities in India. This has all been made possible through the combined efforts of all the AXA entities in India, our NGO partner SEWA International, our technology partners Paramba Foundation and our tech-based cancer care provider Karkinos Healthcare.”

Mr. Derek Nazareth, Head of Global Operations and Country Head for AXA XL in India, commented: “Supporting local communities in India through our CSR activities continues to be a priority for AXA XL in India. SAATH gave us the opportunity to help those families most in need, ensuring they get access to the healthcare they require, and the addition of medical specialists will further enhance an already important initiative."

Mr. Sebastien Legrand, India Head - AXA GO Business Operations, shared his thoughts: “In the last few months, I have seen SAATH support our communities beyond expectations. My belief in our association with the project is further strengthened by the far-reaching impact it has managed to create. Given the current state of COVID-19 in the country and with the addition of these specialized services, SAATH will help to extend improved healthcare to a wider section of society. Our commitment to society is strengthened, with real-time access to relevant information and the subsequent enhanced reach of different medical services across the country.”

SAATH now offers teleconsultation from general practitioners, nutritionists, and specialists from five areas of medicine. Prepared to take on any spike in Covid-19 numbers in India, the helpline is also armed with real-time information of medical resources available to all its callers, free of charge.

ABOUT AXA France Vie – India Reinsurance Branch

AXA France Vie – India Reinsurance Branch was established in 2017 with licenses in life, health, and property and casualty insurance lines. Through reinsurance, the branch aims to support the long-term sustainable growth of India by sharing the financial strength and technical expertise of AXA France. The branch’s dynamic team of actuaries, data scientists, consultants, fraud control experts, investigation experts, and diverse medical practitioners regularly goes above and beyond their role as an insurer to advance AXA’s mission – empowering people to live a better life. This press release and the regulated information made public by AXA are available on the AXA France Vie – India Reinsurance branch website (https://indiareinsurance.axa.com/)

ABOUT AXA GO Business Operations

AXA GO Business Operations is AXA’s largest centralized operations hub that supports over 35 AXA entities, 24 hours a day, delivering Finance and Insurance processes, and a range of specialized consulting services such as in Actuarial, Project Management, Robotic Process Automation, Business Intelligence, Operational Excellence and Financial Crime Compliance.

ABOUT AXA XL

AXA XL, the property & casualty and specialty risk division of AXA, provides insurance and risk management products and services for mid-sized companies through to large multinationals, and reinsurance solutions to insurance companies globally. We partner with those who move the world forward. To learn more, visit www.axaxl.com.    

ABOUT THE AXA GROUP

The AXA Group is a worldwide leader in insurance and asset management, with 149,000 employees serving 95 million clients in 50 countries. In 2021, IFRS revenues amounted to Euro 99.9 billion and underlying earnings to Euro 6.8 billion. AXA had Euro 1,051 billion in assets under management as of December 31, 2021.
The AXA ordinary share is listed on compartment A of Euronext Paris under the ticker symbol CS (ISN FR 0000120628 – Bloomberg: CS FP – Reuters: AXAF.PA). AXA’s American Depository Share is also quoted on the OTC QX platform under the ticker symbol AXAHY. The AXA Group is included in the main international SRI indexes, such as Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) and FTSE4GOOD.
It is a founding member of the UN Environment Programme’s Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) Principles for Sustainable Insurance and a signatory of the UN Principles for Responsible Investment.
This press release and the regulated information made public by AXA pursuant to article L. 451-1-2 of the French Monetary and Financial Code and articles 222-1 et seq. of the Autorité des marchés financiers’ General Regulation are available on the AXA Group website (axa.com).