KUALA LUMPUR: Measat Global Bhd has teamed up with healthcare technology company Mudah Healthtech Sdn Bhd to offer the Sihat Xpress telehealth service to up to one million Malaysians in remote communities.
This will be enabled by the CONNECTme NOW satellite broadband service.
Both parties signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) at Kg Togop Darat 1 in Ranau today, the first rural Sihat Xpress site in Malaysia.
Through the MoU, both companies aim to provide digital healthcare services for up to a million Malaysians in unserved and underserved rural and remote communities nationwide, leveraging on close to 4,000 CONNECTme NOW hotspots located across rural Malaysia, supported by Measat's expansive rural distribution network.
The companies are also committed to digitalise clinics with telehealth capabilities, enabling at least 1,000 doctors to support up to 2,000 Sihat Xpress rural telehealth kiosks to be rolled out at CONNECTme NOW sites within the next two years.
Via the initiative, villagers can currently use telehealth kiosks to conduct self-checks for oxygen level, blood pressure and body temperature, besides consulting a doctor online on various non-emergency medical issues, such as minor illnesses and general health inquiries.
Measat chief operating officer Yau Chyong Lim said the company's collaboration with Mudah Healthtech for the Sihat Xpress rural telehealth initiative is part of its long-term effort to contribute to Malaysia's national goals beyond providing telecommunications services to remote communities.
"With CONNECTme NOW as an enabler, we empower rural entrepreneurship and connect residents to the digital economy via the KampungDigital365.com initiative. Here, we are enabling digital healthcare in rural areas for up to one million unserved and underservedpeople through our CONNECTme NOW hotspots. "Through digital healthcare, we aim to help reduce the healthcare delivery gap in remote communities, empowering rural residents to proactively monitor their health via routine checks and online consultations without spending time and money travelling long distances to a healthcare facility," said Yau in a statement.
Mudah Healthtech chief executive officer Datuk Dr Kantha Rasalingam said the company's mission is to make healthcare more accessible, convenient and personalised for everyone, regardless of their location or socioeconomic status.
"We are pleased to partner with Measat to achieve further success for our mission. They are a like minded partner with an equal conviction in the role of technology in empowering individuals, whether to take control of their health and wellbeing, or to achieve other goals. "Through our innovative solutions, we aim to bridge the gap between healthcare providers and patients, offering seamless and integrated platforms that facilitate communication, collaboration and care delivery," he added.