Globe sees huge potential in telehealth ventures

MANILA, Philippines — Globe Telecom Inc. sees huge potential in its telehealth ventures after posting stellar growth in 2021.

Telehealth service providers KonsultaMD and HealthNow saw strong growth last year, boosting their respective user base as more Filipinos adopted digital solutions for their medical needs.

According to Globe, KonsultaMD reported a 140 percent jump on revenue and expanded its user base to over one million.

KonsultaMD is a subscription-based service which offers easily accessible 24/7 virtual medical consultations.

It is being groomed by its parent company, Globe’s 917Ventures, to follow the footsteps of sister start-up GCash, the country’s biggest e-wallet platform.

To further expand its reach, KonsultaMD has partnered with over 60 brands.

“Telehealth has become an important innovation that will stay and evolve even after the pandemic. We believe the public will continue to use KonsultaMD because of the ease and convenience of talking to a doctor anytime without leaving their homes. This has become an invaluable service during the pandemic,” KonsultaMD CEO Cholo Tagaysay said.

Meanwhile, HealthNow has grown to 800,000 customers barely two years since launch, Globe said.

The telehealth service provider processes 15,000 to 20,000 medicine delivery orders daily and serves as the Ayala Group’s technology partner in administering COVID-19 vaccines.

It has helped administer over one million vaccines to date.

Globe said remote medical access in the country is rising because of convenience, affordability, and safety.

Many Filipinos prefer to consult virtually, instead of going to clinics or hospitals, to lessen the risk of contracting COVID-19 or potentially infecting others.

“Our two digital health offers are also doing very well. KonsultaMD and HealthNow continue to fill the growing demand for access to healthcare during the pandemic,” Globe president and CEO Ernest Cu said.

“There is a lot of promise on the healthcare side of the business,” he said.