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The Internet is often praised for the potential to increase the impact of a range of primary services in emerging markets, including education, commerce, banking and health care. While many of these platforms are under construction, some find that a hybrid approach combining online and offline is advantageous.
This is exactly what Jio Health, a "complete pillar" (forgive me), will happen in the health sector in Southeast Asia, initially in Vietnam.
The company began as a US-based company that worked with health care providers around the "Obamacare" initiative, before seizing the opportunity overseas and establishing itself in Vietnam, the Southeast Asia with 95 million inhabitants and a young, fast-growing population.
Today, she operates an online health care application and a physical facility in Saigon. She also holds licenses for prescription and over-the-counter medications. Launched almost a year ago, the company has 130 employees, including 70 caregivers – including doctors – and a technical team of 30 people.
The idea is to offer services in digital form, but also to provide a physical location at the right time. In this context, the company ensures that "every element of this journey" is controlled and to the required standard, which is different from the services provided in partnership with hospitals or other care centers.
The services offered by Jio Health range from pediatrics to primary care, chronic disease management and ancillary services, which will soon cover areas such as eye care, dermatology and cancer.
"Our initial research [before moving] found that health care in Vietnam was different from the United States, "said Raghu Rai, founder and CEO of Jio Health, at TechCrunch. "The expenses are mainly dictated by the consumer (at his expense) and there is no real digital infrastructure per se."
Rai – a US citizen – said doctors "usually have minutes per patient" and perform "hundreds" of consultations each morning. This gave him the idea of making things more efficient.
"We can probably meet the health needs of consumers north of 80%," he said about Jio Health, "but we also have reference partnerships with some hospitals."
Raghu Rai is CEO and founder of Jio Health
The process begins when a consumer downloads the Jio Health app and enters primary information. A representative is then sent to visit the consumer in person, potentially in the "hours" following the submission of information, according to Rai.
He estimates that Jio Health can save users money and time by using remote consulting for many diagnostics. The company also works with health insurance companies, especially for annual health checks. Rai explained that McDonald's and 7-Eleven are among the companies that offer Jio Health as service providers for their staff. They are not exclusive.
This week, Jio Health announced the closing of a $ 5 million Series A financing from Monk's Hill Ventures in Southeast Asia. . Rai said the company was planning to use the capital for its expansion. In particular, he added, the company is adding new categories of care this month, including eye care and dermatology, and is currently developing its brand through marketing.
Later in the chain, Rai said the company was hoping to expand to Hanoi before the end of this year. Although it is interesting to enter other markets in Southeast Asia, this is not coming soon.
"We have started looking at other markets, but at this point, we think the Vietnamese market is substantial in itself," he told TechCrunch. "It is very plausible that we examine plans for international expansion in 2020 … we will focus on Southeast Asia."
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