Doris Obinna
Leading telemedicine mobile application, SeekMed, has just announced its launch and availability in Nigeria. The mobile application, home to a host of doctors who are recipients of Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri, the third and fourth highest civilian award in the Republic of India respectively, is set to offer Nigerians the choice of getting impeccable medical diagnostics from the comfort of their home.
Speaking on some of the unique features of the telemedicine App, founder of SeekMed, Mr. Alok Awasthi, said: “With SeekMed, you can easily send an appointment request to your trusted doctor, make an online payment, share scans/reports and have video consultation from the comfort of your home, thereby eliminating the often gruesome yet unavoidable decision of traveling long distances for just a few minutes of consultation; a considerably cheaper alternative.”
In 2015, it was reported that 5,994 Nigerians visited India, half of which reportedly visited for medical reasons. Over the past three years, this figure has increased, with an estimated 20,000 Nigerians visiting the nation majorly for medical tourism
India’s medical sector contributed $79 billion to the country’s GDP in 2012 and this figure was doubled in just five years, rising as high as $160 billion in 2017 and making up 17 per cent of the country’s generated revenue.
Nigeria’s lawmakers estimated, a year ago, that Nigerians spend $1 billion annually on medical treatments abroad, with India as key destination for those seeking medical attention abroad.
With these facts in consideration, SeekMed, a user-friendly mobile interactive medicine application, which is available for download on Google Play Store, allows patients and physicians to communicate in real-time while maintaining HIPAA compliance. The mobile app is
set to curb the inconceivable amount of money spent on medical diagnosis and
travel plans while offering Nigerians access to a host of top-ranked
physicians right from the comfort of their home and on their mobile phone.
SeekMed co-founder Sharad Dubey, also expanded on the merits of the app by saying: “The unique features of this mobile App includes and not limited to access to India’s leading physicians who will send reports and write prescriptions as well as an unlimited upload of files. You can also mark your favourite physician for quicker identification and seamless follow-up. Why spend a huge amount of money going to India for medical consultation when there is healing on a mobile phone?”