Local telehealth app Eagle Intelligent Health and Mobicel have signed a partnership deal that will connect South Africans in need of healthcare with qualified doctors online.
According to a statement, the move will see the Eagle Intelligent Health app − a telehealth service that allows users to get in touch with skilled doctors virtually – pre-loaded on Mobicel phones as a utility app.
Mobicel is a South African-based mobile phone manufacturer headquartered in Midrand, which specialises in selling low-cost handsets through its distribution channels.
The Eagle Intelligent Health app has already been loaded onto over 100 000 Mobicel phones, and the plan is to have every new Mobicel phone come with the app pre-installed for users, according to the companies.
Arvind Raichur, CEO and co-founder of Eagle Intelligent Health, notes: “We believe that access to quality healthcare is one of the most basic human rights. Our technology makes care attainable and affordable. Joining forces with Mobicel puts us in a position to truly revolutionise SA’s health sector.”
The partnership will also involve the BüddyCentral Group through its medical division, and MediBüddy, whose network of doctors will be made available to Eagle Intelligent Health app users.
In February, BüddyCentral Group and Eagle Intelligent Health announced a strategic partnership to help expand healthcare in underserved South African communities.
SA has a critical shortage of doctors, with less than one doctor per 1 000 patients, as at 2019, according to the World Factbook, an encyclopaedia on the countries of the world compiled by the US government.
Eagle Intelligent Health is available for free download in the Apple and Google Play app stores. The app uses patented technology, to connect patients with South African registered general practitioners.
Users can consult with a qualified medical professional who, if consent is given, has an up-to-date copy of their medical records. From there, the physician can give prescriptions, write digital and shareable sick notes, or refer the patient to a specialist.
“Partnering with Eagle Intelligent Health in this way puts us in the unique position of being able to literally put millions of people’s health back into their own hands,” says Mobicel CEO and founder Ridhwan Khan.
“Through this partnership, Mobicel customers, who may have struggled to physically see a doctor, will now be able to get the treatment they need through their Mobicel device.”
During the launch phase, signing up for the Eagle Intelligent Health app is free of charge, and virtual consultations are also free. However, this will change in future.
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