By Hina Kiyani
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.
