$5.5B Chinese startup has plans to be 'Amazon of healthcare'
WeDoctor, a startup worth $5.5 billion, has some saying it will become China's “Amazon of healthcare." The company’s main focus is removing unnecessary red tape and wait times at government clinics.
WeDoctor leverages user data from 160 million registered users for marketing to drug makers and has licenses to operate 10 online hospitals, creating a direct-to-consumer approach.
WeDoctor started by helping patients book appointments to see physicians. Today, it also manages online follow-up consultations, prescriptions and brick-and-mortar clinics staffed by physicians. The company also utilizes artificial intelligence to help detect diseases. It has developed an Amazon Echo-like device that can link to wearables.
“One of the reasons we think WeDoctor could become a big business in China is because of the sheer demand for better and more convenient health care treatment,” said Gilbert Ho, a senior director at NWS Holdings Ltd., a New World unit to Bloomberg. “WeDoctor also has the advantage to understand users with its big data and technology.
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As a senior news writer for TriMed, Subrata covers cardiology, clinical innovation and healthcare business. She has a master’s degree in communication management and 12 years of experience in journalism and public relations.