Medo Asia to Invest RM250,000 for Second Online Portal

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 20 (Bernama) -- Medo Asia Sdn Bhd plans to invest RM250,000 (about US$56,000) to build a second online service portal catering to the business-to-business (B2B) segment. The company recently launched an online service, MedicalOpinionAsia.com, that connects patients directly to 50 highly respected medical experts in Malaysia, enabling them to seek a second medical opinion. Managing Director and Co-founder, Stuart J Venner Pack said the service is a digital healthcare innovation created to address an increasing number of patients wanting another opinion before treatment. "Our service right now is currently business-to-consumers (B2C). The second stage is to expand to the B2B platform, as it has better returns," he told reporters after a media briefing on the new online service here Monday. Pack said there had been interest from insurance companies and third-party administrators for the B2B platform, but did not elaborate further. The company invested RM1 million (about US$224,000) for the inaugural online service, launched on Oct 1 last year. The price of an online medical diagnosis stands at RM320 (about US$71) currently, and it is shared with patients in 72 hours or less. On medical tourism, Pack said the pricing is an added advantage here, in being substantially cheaper compared to western nations. The wide use of English also makes Malaysia an attractive location. "The company targets to diagnose between 600 and 900 patients on a monthly basis. The best way to promote medical tourism is to promote Malaysia’s skill set," Pack said. The skill set refers to a specific medical treatment and equipment that Malaysia has in its healthcare sector. -- BERNAMA