Malaysian telemedicine service provider DOC2US has partnered with insurer AIA Malaysia to provide virtual health services and wellness programmes for the latter's individual and corporate customers.

WHAT IT'S ABOUT

DOC2US services are now available via the My AIA app. Users can consult doctors and receive e-prescriptions that will be filled by partner pharmacies. Home delivery of medications is also an option.

DOC2US recently engaged in several strategic partnerships with organisations such as Alpro Pharmacy, Malaysia's largest prescription pharmacy chain; international delivery service provider GDEX; and Gribbles Pathology, the country's biggest private laboratory network.

WHY IT MATTERS

Accessing digital health services during the pandemic helps limit physical interaction, reducing the risk of spreading the coronavirus. Malaysia recently recorded 2,733 new cases, according to WHO data.

Meanwhile, DOC2US chief technology officer Tan Aik Keong believes that the successful integration of its services to the insurer's app will create "huge opportunities in enabling any app to be equipped with telemedicine services."

THE LARGER TREND

Insurance companies in Southeast Asia have partnered with telemedicine providers during the pandemic. Last year saw AXA Asia offering free teleconsultations to 6.5 million people in partnership with various providers in China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Japan.

AIA in Thailand collaborated with private hospital Samitivej to offer a limited-time free COVID-19 virtual consultation service. Some customers of AIA Singapore got their video medical consultations covered by the insurer.

Other telemedicine providers like Telemedico offer a plug-and-play option for insurance companies, easily integrating their platforms to their client's existing IT systems.

ON THE RECORD

"At DOC2US, we truly believe in hyper-localisation, and hence our home-grown solution is built by Malaysians for Malaysians with an aim to improve the health and wellbeing of Malaysians," said DOC2US CEO Dr. Raymond Choy.

"These collaborations will not only improve patients’ experiences and engagement in health care but also scale up the health landscape through high-quality digital solutions and technology," he added.