Pakistan’s second-largest telecommunications provider and Sehat Kahani, a startup that provides telehealth services, have formed a partnership to improve access to healthcare.
Tell me more: Velocity is a four-month equity-free accelerator program for startups funded and supported by Telenor. During the program, startups receive mentorship from domain experts and access to global partners.
Sehat Kahani is a graduate of the Velocity accelerator program. And it recently signed an MOU with Telenor to provide its subscribers with telehealth services.
The new partnership will allow Sehat Kahani to offer Telenor subscribers video consultations with doctors, specialists, and mental health experts. Users will be able to pay with their mobile balance. And e-prescriptions will be offered at subsidized prices.
Why it matters: There is a severe shortage of qualified doctors in Pakistan, resulting in many people lacking proper healthcare.
By collaborating with Telenor, Sehat Kahani will now have access to its subscriber base of 49 million. It will not solve the accessibility crisis but it is sure to make a dent.
Before you go: Sehat Kahani is a Karachi-based startup offering telehealth services through e-health clinics and a mobile app. It operates 35 e-health clinics across Pakistan and has a staff of over 150 people. It has treated more than half a million patients.
Sehat Kahani has raised $1.5 million in venture capital funding to date. The most recent round of funding was announced in Q1 of 2021.
