ISLAMABAD: Health-tech startups in Pakistan are attracting investors’ eyes as Health-Wire raised $3.3 million to grow its business.
Earlier last year, Marham, a Lahore-based health-tech startup, found a $1 million investment. The total startups investment reached $375 million in 2021, the highest compared to $57.7 million in 2020, WealthPK reported on Wednesday.
In the fourth industrial revolution, just like other sectors, technology is revolutionising the health sector across the globe. In Pakistan, the health sector is adopting technology as a number of health-tech startups are now providing their services.
These startups include Healthwire, Marham, Ailaaj, Dawaai, Oladoc, Sehat Kahani, E-NovatRX, doctHERs, etc., which have attracted millions of dollars in foreign investment.
The use of the latest technology provides an opportunity for stakeholders (i.e., patients and healthcare professionals) to engage with each other in virtual environments to discuss health-related issues.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, when due to lockdown and other restrictions, people would not be able to go outside, this technology works as a blessing by opening new ways for those in need, WealthPK reported.
In recent times, many new health-tech startups have started in Pakistan. These startups provide various services related to the health sector, including online appointments of doctors, diagnostics, medicines, etc., to the people.
Doctors are diagnosing patients online without having physical meetings. Thousands of people use these services online and benefit from these startups.
After the 18th Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan, the health sector was transferred to provinces. Provinces have endeavoured to overhaul the health sector’s structure through various programs.
However, compared to population growth, results are less satisfactory, and Pakistan’s healthcare system lags behind in structural, organisational, and administrative quality checks and controls. Pakistan ranks 154th out of 195 countries regarding access to healthcare services.
The number of doctors is less than required.
There is one doctor for 1,700 patients in Pakistan, much lesser than the World Health Organisation (WHO) ratio requirement of one doctor for a thousand patients.
Pakistan has 180 million mobile phone users, out of which 98 million are smartphone users, and the number is growing very fast.
Dr. Sara Saeed, the founder of Sehat Kahani, told WealthPK that purpose of health-tech startups is to use technology as a bridge to provide healthcare services. Sehat Kahani provides a platform for doctors to connect with patients seeking medical advice or treatment.
The telemedicine industry has shown rapid growth during Covid-19. The size of the telemedicine industry is $79 billion, and it is being projected that it will reach $396.8 billion by 2027.
The Pakistan government is trying to facilitate technology-based startups to invest in Pakistan. Incubation centres promote and provide technical support and interaction for these startups with industry experts.
Some challenges need to be overcome to make sure that more people across Pakistan benefit from these health-tech startups.
Research shows that due to illiteracy, currently a small number of people are using the services of these startups.
Lack of internet access is one of the eminent problems. However, the government is taking steps to provide internet in every nook and corner of the country.
Access to these startups is also limited. Most of these startups are working in major cities, including Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, and Peshawar.
There is a great potential for them to expand their services to remote areas of Pakistan because a large number of people are living in rural areas. People from Balochistan and interior Sindh and Gilgit-Baltistan must also have access to quality medical services using technology. There is a need to link the government programs (Sehat Insaf) with these health-tech startups to facilitate the beneficiaries. -INP
