A startup company based in Bangkok, HD, has created an Amazon-like platform for healthcare services in Southeast Asia, as reported by TechCrunch.
(Photo : by JADE GAO/AFP via Getty Images)
Patients are treated in the emergency department of a hospital in Beijing on January 3, 2023. - Cities across China have struggled with surging infections, a resulting shortage of pharmaceuticals and overflowing hospital wards and crematoriums after Beijing suddenly dismantled its zero-Covid lockdown and testing regime.
How HD Works
The platform works by making three parties meet: the surgeons with private practice, patients in need of more affordable surgeries, and vacant surgery rooms at hospitals.
The idea was developed when Sheji Ho, the CEO and co-founder of HD, saw surgeons in Thailand advertising on Facebook to attract more private customers. In Southeast Asia, dual practice is common because they are not paid well at top hospitals; hence, they work at private ones, so they get the money.
Also, there is a problem with public hospitals in Southeast Asia, such as very long waiting times, which is why doctors try to attract patients to the private institutions where they work.
Currently, the platform has a supply of over 20 operating rooms across Thailand and Indonesia, and with the potential to access over 1,500 healthcare providers already on the platform. There are also around 40 types of surgeries lined up.
Also read: The Healthcare Platform that is Changing the Insurance Industry on a Global Scale
A Marketplace
Indeed, HD's platform is, indeed, a marketplace for healthcare services. Its model has been proven to be successful in a huge massive healthcare market, like in China, where a similar platform runs.
HD started onboarding hospitals and clinics via a lot of heavy liftings, such as helping customers set up their product pages. The platform earns from this by taking a cut from transactions. Plus, they also charge a listing fee from healthcare providers.
They also provide healthcare marketing solutions to providers that will help increase their reach and performance.
It is also important to note that the platform prioritizes minimally invasive, short-stay elective surgeries with low output variation. Since four years ago, the platform has served around 250,000 patients and seen significant sales growth during the pandemic. Now, it aims to keep its growth rate at two to three times after COVID.
Access to Healthcare Services is a Lot Easier
Undoubtedly, the way hospitals and clinics advertise their services is becoming more sophisticated and accessible with the use of the Internet.
Patients are now able to easily find what they may want to know and compare services based on the information available on the Internet. This is not different in the healthcare industry.
However, being able to compare services and spending money depending on one's needs and preferences can only happen if the information is also transparent and accessible.
Online platforms like HD will make way for more transparent healthcare services, and thus, patients will be more informed about their options and have the power to make informed decisions about their health and spending too.
Related article: WebMD Acquires Jim.fr, a French Medical Platform for Healthcare Professionals
