A physician in Indonesia, Gamal Albinsaid, has created a novel system for getting medical treatment. He offers medical treatment in exchange for garbage that his patients pickup. The garbage can be sold and patients get access to cheaper medical care. This effort by Indonesia Medika is commendable because it aims to provide some health coverage for IDR 10,000. Just to put this in context, that is the cost of a can of Coke or Pepsi.
This model is probably valid uniquely for Indonesia where the cost of recycled products is still high. Another interesting fact is that the Government provides insurance at IDR 25,000 per month and these folks are not even able to afford that for their treatment, though Indonesia Medika is thinking about other ways that they can bridge some of their present customers to access the Government healthcare plan through selling garbage.
This business model is unique because it enables the cleanup of garbage and also provides healthcare for the needy.