MEASAT has collaborated with Mudah Healthtech to offer telehealth services to underserved communities in rural Malaysia. Enabled by MEASAT’s ConnectMe Now satellite broadband service, the Sihat Xpress telehealth service provides digital healthcare services for rural folks so that they can get medical attention remotely.
To mark the partnership, MEASAT and Mudah Healthtech have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at Kg Togop Darat 1 in Ranau, Sabah which is also Malaysia’s first Sihat Xpress site. The first location serves as a proof-of-concept (POC) for improving rural healthcare through digital technology. The MoU signing ceremony was witnessed by Sabah’s Assistant Minister for Community Development and People’s Wellbeing, YB Datuk Flovia Ng.
MEASAT and Mudah Healthtech aim to provide digital healthcare for up to 1,000,000 Malaysians in rural Malaysia
MEASAT and Mudah Healthtech aim to provide digital healthcare services for up to 1,000,000 Malaysians living in unserved and underserved rural and remote communities in Malaysia through close to 4,000 ConnectMe Now hotspot locations. These sites are supported by MEASAT’s expansive rural distribution network.
The MoU also looks into committing to digitalise clinics with telehealth capabilities, enabling at least 1,000 doctors to support up to 2,000 Sihat Xpress rural telehealth kiosks expected to be rolled out at ConnectMe Now sites within the next two years.
With the Sihat Xpress initiative, rural residents can use the telehealth kiosks to conduct self-checking of their oxygen level, blood pressure and body temperature besides consulting a doctor virtually for various non-emergency medical issues such as minor illnesses and general health inquiries. There are plans to add more health checks in the future such as blood glucose testing.
Telehealth kiosks as a viable solution to mitigate healthcare delivery concerns in rural areas
In the long term, these telehealth kiosks are said to be a viable solution for mitigating healthcare delivery concerns such as alleviating overcrowding and long wait times at healthcare facilities. After all, many unserved communities are so remote and it can take hours for residents to travel to the nearest town.
These facilities can also help improve health literacy in rural communities through educational content and reduce the incidence of non-communicable diseases by empowering residents to take control of their health with basic health screening and diagnostic tools.
According to MEASAT and Mudah Healthtech, the Sihat Xpress initiative in rural areas is aligned with the national goals to digitalise all healthcare services by 2030 to uplift service delivery and the potential implementation of telehealth as a cost-effective method to address gaps in high-quality healthcare delivery in remote areas besides collecting data to support public health planning to achieve better outcomes.
MEASAT Chief Operating Officer Yau Chyong Lim said, “As Malaysia’s Rural Broadband Service Provider, our collaboration with Mudah Healthtech for the Sihat Xpress rural telehealth initiative is part of our long-term effort to contribute to Malaysia’s national goals beyond providing telecommunications services. 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 1,000,000 unserved and underserved people 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.”
Commenting on the collaboration, Mudah Healthtech Chief Executive Officer Dato Dr Kantha Rasalingam said, “Mudah Healthtech is dedicated to revolutionising the way people access and manage their health. Our 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 likeminded 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.”
YB Datuk Flovia Ng said, “In Sabah, the State Government welcomes initiatives from private companies, such as MEASAT and Mudah Healthtech, that can help improve healthcare outcomes among the people. We believe that telehealth services through Sihat Xpress have a role to play in addressing the lack of medical professionals in remote areas and help residents obtain medical advice more conveniently without travelling long distances. This is in line with our own efforts to send mobile laboratories to remote districts to conduct medical check-ups and our encouragement of integration and collaboration between the government, private sector and the public to increase awareness on healthcare and improve wellbeing.”
