Globe’s 917Ventures indicated that it wants KonsultaMD to follow in the footsteps of sister company Mynt in the coming years.
In a virtual discussion on November 10, the Globe affiliate mentioned that they commit themselves to expanding health tech services in the country. It is because of the increased demand for remote medical access due to convenience, cost, and safety.
Globe’s 917Ventures sees post-pandemic growth for KonsultaMD
We all know that our country suffers from a shortage of healthcare personnel, insufficient health facilities, limited access, and the expensive cost of medical consultation. Vince Yamat, 917Ventures Managing Director, says that they have had high hopes for KonsultaMD even before the pandemic. They saw it as a way to address the pain points in Philippine healthcare.
“People were wary of using the service before as they are used to traditional face-to-face consultations, but with the pandemic, things have changed. Telehealth has become an important innovation that will stay and evolve.” He added.
Within less than two years of the global health crisis, medical consultations via the KonsultaMD app had drastically increased. Compared to pre-pandemic it increases about 1,549 percent. Similarly, the service claims over one million users who have 24/7 unlimited access to licensed doctors. through phone or video chat. For as little as PHP60 per month, they can benefit from this health service.
“Our situation has taken away the reluctance of many Filipinos to try telehealth services. People are looking for ways to stay safe from the virus while our hospitals are overwhelmed with patients. KonsultaMD has become a platform that connects Filipinos to much-needed medical consults for non-emergency cases,” said Cholo Tagaysay, CEO of KonsultaMD.
Tagaysay is optimistic that even after the epidemic, the public’s tendency of consulting with a doctor via voice or video will continue. That is if the current trend is an indication. He stated that teleconsults will continue to grow as consumers saw the benefits of using the service and going digital. It is even when the COVID-19 case faded earlier this year.
Teleconsultation also promotes the habit of expressing medical concerns while they are still in the early stages. Members of KonsultaMD can consult with doctors who specialize in a variety of fields, including general medicine, family medicine, obstetrics, and gynecology. It also includes pediatrics, rehabilitation medicine, mental health support (counseling and psychotherapy), psychiatry, dermatology, ophthalmology, dentistry, ENT, and surgery.
KonsultaMD, on the other hand, offers digital administration of health consultation data as well as the issue of medical papers. Examples of these medical papers are e-prescriptions, e-laboratory requests, e-referrals, and e-medical certifications.
As Globe’s corporate venture builder, 917Ventures plays an important part in the company’s mission to become a digital solutions group. It plans to attend the Philippine Startup Week from November 15–19 to exchange learnings and advancements across its many companies. They also look out for talented individuals and startups that want to be a part of the country’s largest corporate venture builder.
Source: Globe
