Santosh Kaur missed her flight to Russia, where she was supposed to study medicine. “It’s a twisted story,” she says, “about how people are exploited when they seek better opportunities, especially families who lack the necessary knowledge.”
The story goes like this: her father had been in contact with an immigration agent who promised to send her to Russia for an MBBS program. Everything seemed set, but when she arrived at the airport, there was no flight, no passport, and no trace of the agent. In the end, she lost a significant amount of money.
Following this setback, Kaur moved to Australia and enrolled in a commercial cooking course. However, six months before completing it, she realised it wasn’t her true calling and returned to her passion for medical science, choosing to study nursing at Victoria University instead. “It was where my heart belonged.”
Before this, Kaur had completed her Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery from S.K.S.S. Ayurvedic Medical College in Ludhiana.
Kaur always wanted to contribute more and advance professionally. Throughout her career, she developed a deep interest in wound care—whether as a nurse at Essendon Private Hospital, a coordinator in aged care, or as a clinical advisor for the government in Victoria and Tasmania.
“I would see data from all over Australia, and when I examined the wounds and assessed complaints, I found that many of the issues were preventable,” she explains.
This observation sparked the idea of creating technology to replace manual measurement and the manual sharing of crucial wound data.
In October 2022, Kaur launched SmartHeal, an app designed to improve all aspects of wound care by analysing wound tissue for infection and moisture and recommending appropriate dressings.
“SmartHeal addresses three key areas of wound care: assessment, treatment, and measurement. It allows you to capture an image with your phone or smart device, automatically provides measurements, and streamlines the wound assessment process. Currently, we are also developing a feature that offers recommendations on the best dressing options available,” Kaur elaborates.
Kaur is fully committed to her company. “This is my primary focus now. We have a team of eight, including tech experts, front-end and back-end developers, designers, and admins. We also have an advisory board that guides us on the fundamentals of the business.”
“Eventually, SmartHeal will be available on the App Store,” Kaur says. “But for now, we provide a private link for download. We’re currently in discussions with two major hospitals to run paid pilot programs.”
She is also planning to launch SmartHeal in India, starting with Bangalore and Gurugram. “The impact it can have is enormous, and that’s what motivates me.”
Developing the app has been a complex journey, beginning as an idea in 2021 during COVID and evolving through numerous conversations with experts and companies—some of whom didn’t deliver and others who didn’t believe in the concept. “But it’s been a journey worth taking, and it’s something that can make a significant impact,” says Kaur.
Kaur has a clear vision for the future. “In the short term, we aim to establish virtual wound command centres to reduce travel and costs for patients. In the long term, our vision extends beyond wound care; the technology can be applied in dermatology and other areas involving tissue analysis. We’ve mapped out our next steps, and while I can’t reveal too much, there are countless applications for this module.”
Kaur also teaches a few hours a week at La Trobe University on digital health. “I never imagined I could handle so much and run a company,” she laughs.
She often finds herself at male-dominated tables. As a mother to an eight-year-old aspiring to be the next Ronaldo, she stays busy with his soccer training. “I love hiking, and I try to volunteer on weekends as a Justice of the Peace, signing documents. I also practice meditation. When you take the time to reflect and look within, that’s when everything surfaces.
“My philosophy is to keep going. Sometimes you chase things that seem impossible, but if your intentions are right and your heart is in the right place, people can see that.”
The Indian Sun acknowledges the support of the Victorian Government.
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