NE HEALTH BUREAU
CHENNAI, SEPT 11
What if preventive healthcare could reach people before illness forces them to seek it? Star Health and Allied Insurance Company Limited is seeking to answer that question through its Aarogya Seva Kendra (ASK) network, with more than 100 community members benefiting from a free pneumococcal vaccination drive at its ASK+ Centre in Egmore, Chennai.
- 100+ beneficiaries receive free pneumococcal vaccination at ASK+ Chennai
- ASK Centres have supported over 15,000 beneficiaries across Tamil Nadu
- Network records 22,000 tests, 14,000 pharmacy services and 11,000 NCD screenings
- Company plans wider community health and vaccination outreach across Tamil Nadu
The two-day Pneumococcal Vaccination Drive focused on improving access to adult immunisation and strengthening awareness about disease prevention and proactive health management.
Eligible beneficiaries, including senior citizens and individuals who could benefit from adult immunisation, participated in the initiative. Healthcare professionals also counselled participants on vaccination eligibility and the importance of timely preventive interventions.
From vaccination to screening: healthcare at the neighbourhood level
The initiative forms part of Star Health’s CSR-led Aarogya Seva Kendra (ASK) programme, designed to bring essential healthcare services closer to communities.
The ASK+ Chennai Centre caters to residents of Egmore and surrounding localities, including Chintadripet and Pudhupet. Its services include medical consultations, basic health check-ups, diabetes screening, diagnostic tests based on clinical requirements, medicines, health counselling and vaccination support.
Star Health operates 27 ASK Centres and five ASK+ clinics across nine states and 32 cities.
In Tamil Nadu, its five ASK+ clinics are located in Chennai, Nagercoil, Thoothukudi, Karur and Tiruppur.
15,000-plus beneficiaries and counting
The ASK network has supported more than 15,000 beneficiaries in Tamil Nadu, including nearly 8,000 who accessed laboratory services.
The Centres have conducted around 22,000 tests, provided nearly 14,000 pharmacy services and carried out around 11,000 non-communicable disease (NCD) screenings. More than 750 vaccinations have also been administered through the network.
At the pan-India level, Star Health said its ASK network has supported over 1.5 lakh beneficiaries, conducted more than 1.6 lakh tests and provided around 1.4 lakh pharmacy services. Nearly 78,000 beneficiaries have accessed laboratory services.
Preventive care must reach people where they live
Commenting on the initiative, Balaji Babu C, Business Head – Tamil Nadu, Star Health Insurance, said:
“Preventive healthcare becomes meaningful when people can access essential interventions within their communities. Across our ASK Centres in Tamil Nadu, we have recorded over 7,500 diabetes visits, conducted around 11,000 NCD screenings for blood pressure and blood sugar, and provided over 750 vaccinations. The participation of 100+ community members in the Pneumococcal Vaccination Drive at our ASK+ Chennai Centre further demonstrates the growing awareness around preventive healthcare and the importance of taking timely steps towards better health. We plan to build on this response through larger community health and vaccination camps, while expanding similar medical centres to more districts across Tamil Nadu and strengthening access to preventive healthcare at the local level.”
Building a wider preventive-health network
The company said it would continue to explore preventive healthcare initiatives, awareness programmes and vaccination drives through its ASK network.
The focus will be on strengthening community healthcare outreach and improving awareness and access to preventive services across Tamil Nadu and other parts of India.
The Chennai vaccination initiative thus represents more than a one-off immunisation camp: it puts the spotlight on a healthcare model that seeks to move the conversation from treating illness to preventing it—one community, one screening and one vaccination at a time.
