Walmart-owned Flipkart has launched a separate app - Flipkart Health+ for its healthcare business.

The platform will operate on a marketplace model, with third-party sellers offering medicines and healthcare products.

Flipkart Health+ will have over 500 independent sellers who have a network of registered pharmacists for validation of medical prescriptions and accurate dispensation of medicines, the company says.

The company says it had put in place various quality checks and verification protocols to offer genuine medicines.

Besides, the company plans to onboard third-party healthcare service providers who will offer other value-added healthcare services such as teleconsultation and e-diagnostics to customers. This is one of the reasons why Flipkart has chosen to create a separate app for its healthcare business.

The Bengaluru-based company continues to scale many of its new businesses, including e-pharmacy, travel and social commerce platform Shopsy, and double down on its grocery business.

According reports that Flipkart had pumped in $143 million into its healthcare unit. The company also appointed former Apollo Health executive Prashant Jhaveri as chief executive of its healthcare business in March.

The Covid-19 pandemic has triggered consolidation in the Indian healthcare industry and seen the entry of large players such as Reliance Industries and the Tata Group, which picked up Netmeds and 1mg, respectively.

“Since the pandemic, Indians have witnessed a tremendous shift in favoring wellness and preventative healthcare and there is an increased focus on health and wellness like never before. Through Flipkart Health+, we aim to solve the critical gap of accessibility to genuine medicines and healthcare products and services across the country, especially the remotest parts,” Jhaveri adds.

According to reports, Flipkart launched its healthcare business in November 2021 and acquired online pharmacy SastaSundar in the same month for an undisclosed amount.