Telehealth is rising in popularity in Indonesia.
Telehealth to the rescue
- As coronavirus cases continue to surge in Indonesia — latest reports reveal that the number has crossed 4,000 — medical frontliners look to telehealth apps to meet the increasing demand for healthcare.
- 500-backed Alodokter is one of the platforms selected by the Indonesian government for doctors to provide medical consultations and even prescribe medications through video or text, according to a New York Times article.
- Alodokter CEO Nathanael Faibis said they garnered 32 million website visitors in March after the first confirmed Covid-19 cases in the country were announced on 2 March.
- Since then, the platform launched in 2014 has even received consultations requests from Thailand.
- “As hospitals are already packed, the government wants to ensure only priority patients are going to emergency rooms and that patients who don’t urgently need hospitalization can be helped online,” Faibis added.
Eye in the sky
- Following approval from the civil aviation body of Malaysia, drones have been deployed to the skies to help the Royal Malaysian Police with enforcing the movement control order (MCO) in Malaysia.
- Three drone firms, counting 500-backed Aerodyne, have been appointed to assist in the operation.
- Since 7 April, 21 teams of “Aerorangers” have taken to the skies to patrol major parts of the Klang Valley region.
Carsome pools money to help staff
- Employees of 500-backed used-car platform Carsome will continue receiving full salaries for a maximum period of three months.
- If an infected employee requires treatment beyond what’s provided by public hospitals, Carsome will also pay for up to S$3,000 of medical costs.
- These measures are part of a broader S$50,000 support fund pooled from the salaries of Carsome’s management team, The Business Times reported.
- The fund will cover the company’s 700 employees in Southeast Asia.
- “With the support fund, we hope we can help alleviate the stress the crisis has brought to our employees,” CEO and co-founder Eric Cheng said, who’s also encouraged employees to maintain personal hygiene and seek medical attention if they feel unwell.
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500 Startups is a venture capital firm on a mission to discover and back the world’s most talented entrepreneurs, help them create successful companies at scale, and build thriving global ecosystems. In Southeast Asia, 500 Startups invests through the pioneering 500 Southeast Asia family of funds. The 500 Southeast Asia funds have backed over 240 companies across multiple sectors from internet to consumer to deep technology. It continues to connect founders with capital, expertise and powerful regional and global networks to help them succeed.
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