WHAT IS THE STORY BEHIND HAAMOR'S LAUNCH IN OCTOBER 2011?
Khun Wicharn Manawanitjarern [Haamor's co-founder who is in charge of sales and marketing] and I have been friends since seventh grade. I was working in the U.S. when he suggested that we should start a business together. We had done many things, and it was quite a bumpy ride before we finally found Haamor.com. During the ride, we got to see quite a number of hospitals and one day I told Wicharn that it would be nice if Thai people had better access to healthcare information. Coincidentally, he had a similar idea in mind. We thought that Haamor.com would be beneficial to Thai people, so we jumped right in.
WHAT CAN PEOPLE FIND ON THE WEBSITE?
We have a comprehensive database of more than 1,000 medical articles. The articles are written by medical doctors for the general population. Each article states its author as well as references. Users can be sure that the information they read on Haamor.com is accurate. We also have a web forum that runs 24/7 with real doctors giving real recommendations to real patients' problems. Most questions are answered within 24 hours. More than 5,000 questions were answered during the past year alone. We have a searchable database of hospitals. We have a list of medical packages which is updated regularly so users can compare them and select the one that fits them best.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR APP WHICH WAS SELECTED AS ONE OF THE 20 FINALISTS BY DTAC ACCELERATE.
Haamor is the perfect name for this app. Basically, through a complex algorithm, the app will simulate real doctors giving a pre-diagnosis to patients based on symptoms they exhibit, and will provide initial recommendations. Imagine what it would be like to have a doctor in your pocket with you all the time.
HOW CAN PEOPLE BENEFIT FROM THE APP?
It will help people by offering them recommendations on their health issues based on their symptoms. For cases in which they do not have to go to a hospital, it will save them money and time. For cases which call for further diagnosis or a hospital visit, it hopefully would allow people to react to the recommendations in a timely manner, which may actually save their lives. With Thailand having only three doctors for every 10,000 people, we hope that the app will allow more people to have access to quality healthcare. On a larger scale, I hope it will increase efficiency in our healthcare system as a whole.
HOW DO YOU THINK TECHNOLOGY CAN CHANGE THAILAND'S HEALTHCARE SYSTEM?
I think the internet helps bring healthcare to Thais, especially those who live in rural areas, in a way that wasn't possible before. Half of our visitors are from outside of Bangkok. People can now learn about health-related issues and perhaps even diagnose themselves in the comfort of their own homes. With new technologies emerging every day, there really is no limit to what we can do. We will see more and more health-related apps in the future.G
