Telehealth will become a preferred mode of healthcare across the GCC in the coming months and years, according to Dr Azad Moopen, founder of Aster Group.
Moopen told Arabian Business he is also betting big on the home healthcare segment to grow in the GCC region in the post-pandemic period.
“Out of the many things, primarily patients realised that tele-healthcare gives them a big advantage to avail medical services at the convenience and safety of their own homes and we expect this behavior shift to remain,” said Moopen, founder chairman and managing director of Aster DM Healthcare.
He also said at the start of the lockdown, Aster was one of the first private healthcare players to introduce telemedicine as a solution.
“The practice (of tele-healthcare) was already available globally but the pandemic fast-tracked its adoption across countries,” he added.
Moopen also revealed that the Aster group has more than 500 doctors enrolled into the tele-consultation service across GCC and India who have provided more than 70,000 virtual appointments.
“This shows how well the practice has been adopted both by the service provider as well as the patient. Given the convenience factor and ease of availing such services, the practice will continue and will rather become a preferred mode of healthcare by many.”
Moopen said home healthcare is another major area that Aster is developing, saying the company will focus on exploring this area more going forward.
“Home healthcare is increasingly becoming a patient’s go-to approach when it comes to availing care and that is what we will focus our efforts on. It reduces the cost for the patient and increases safety as hospital acquired infections can be avoided.”
Moopen added: “It also is low capex and an additional stream of revenue from the business point. Hence, we will definitely further explore this segment and move towards it in a more diversified manner.”
Dr Azad Moopen, founder chairman and managing director of Aster DM Healthcare
He also pointed out that given Aster’s integrated healthcare delivery model, the group could easily shift the entire delivery mechanism to the homes of patients.
“From services such as doctor and nurse on call, lab test collection at home, and medicine supply at home we have invested in the home healthcare segment, one step at a time.”
Moopen also pointed out that in India, Aster is also providing complex services such as home ICU services as also post-discharge follow-up and care of the patients.
The Aster founder said the group, which acquired Wahat Al Aman, a home healthcare company in Abu Dhabi, last year, was open to both inorganic and organic routes to grow its home healthcare segment in the GCC region.
“With the acquisition of Wahat Al Aman, we could strengthen our offering in the home health in UAE. We have been developing India home care organically,” Moopen said.
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