Yesterday, we told you a partnership between Commercial Bank of Africa and mobile Health service provider Hello Doctor, seeking to deliver M-shwari customers with medical consultation services on their mobile devices. The service aims to deliver the health information to customers when clients need a quick healthcare reference. The service will deliver the information daily, through the Hello Doctor application. The application will also provide healthcare advice, answers to health-related questions in chat forums as well as one-on-one conversation with a doctor. The patient can also opt to receive a call from a doctor within a given time frame. The service will also be available on feature phones through USSD.
During the launch of the product, it was also announced that M-Shwari customers will also access an emergency medical loan facility of Kshs. 10,000 to facilitate the taking care of healthcare expenses. The medical loan services will be offered at a rate of 5%. In addition, Cannon Assurance will underwrite a Kshs. 5,000 hospital benefit for patients who get admitted to hospitals for one day. The services will be available on a subscription basis charging Kshs 300 a-month, with the first month being offered free. Patients will receive health care information across 20 categories including childcare, HIV, diabetes, Skin diseases, heart disease management among others. The services will be charged at Kshs. 60 and Kshs. 20 for unlimited calling and texting.
The launch of the service comes at the backdrop of the launch of a similar product between Airtel Kenya and Medanta Africare in April 2015, that allows customers to call and receive health advice from doctors. Patients are able to receive the advise on calling 1525, besides allowing customers to access health services at home at pre-defined rates. The service was previously available to Safaricom customers where by dialing 1525, they would talk to qualified medical personnel and receive health advice at a cost of 20/=.
Source: Business Daily
