Thailand has seen a rise in the number of corporates willing to support telemedicine for employees, according to Good Doctor Technology, a regional health tech firm.
"There is growing demand for accessible yet affordable long-term health management solutions, and this trend was accelerated by the rapid adoption of digital healthcare during the Covid-19 pandemic," said Melvin Vu, regional chief executive of Good Doctor Technology.
Its subsidiary, Good Doctor Technology Thailand (GDTT), recently rolled out Healthcare Software as a Service (HSaaS), which offers plug-in solutions for other platforms that want to add telemedicine functionality to their apps.
Under this model, GDTT provides telemedicine support within partners' apps or other platforms, delivering medical services to their users or employees, Mr Vu said.
GDTT creates additional value and provides users with access to a broad range of services, from professional medical consultation to drug prescription, sales and deliveries.
The HSaaS plug-in integration of telehealth with popular apps can play a role in reducing healthcare accessibility gaps, allowing more people to manage their health proactively, Mr Vu said.
An example of such integration is the "SPRING UP" application that was launched in partnership with SCB Bank and Mahidol University. Under this collaboration, GDTT provided telemedicine functionality.
"We hope that by the end of this year, more than 2 million people will have downloaded the app," said Mr Vu.
Companies in Thailand are increasingly concerned about the health of their employees, and this trend will continue to develop, said Mr Vu.
"These services include thematic programmes designed to promote wellness and healthy lifestyles among employees, and are able to drive their productivity and keep absenteeism rates low."
In Thailand, GDTT has built its first physical clinic in Asean in the centre of Bangkok.
"Our patients can connect with doctors within 60 seconds without any prior booking and typically receive a diagnosis and recommended treatment plan within 15 minutes," said Mr Vu.
In August 2021, GDTT was accepted by the authorities to join the home isolation programme as a virtual healthcare service provider for asymptomatic Covid-19 patients and those experiencing mild symptoms.
The company's network of pharmacies has attained more than 340 merchants in 45 provinces.
According to Mr Vu, the majority of the firm's users sought consultations related to Covid-19 and office syndromes, such as muscle strain and dermatological issues.
"Given how tech-savvy people in Thailand are, many are relatively comfortable with our text-based format of teleconsultation services and shared their positive experiences with the speed of medication delivery and the professionalism of our doctors," Mr Vu said.