Sehat Kahani, renowned for its initiative empowering female physicians, boasts a network of over 7,500 healthcare experts worldwide and serves more than 800 businesses.

Sehat Kahani, a pioneering health-tech startup in Pakistan led entirely by women, has achieved a significant milestone by concluding a groundbreaking Series A funding round, amassing $2.7 million in investments.

The company proudly announced, “Sehat Kahani stands as Pakistan’s maiden all-female-led enterprise to attain Series A funding.”

Fronted by Dr. Razi Yousuf of Amaanah Circle, a health tech venture from Singapore, the financing round also saw participation from notable backers such as Epic Angels, a women-focused investment consortium, Cross Fund, USAID Investment Promotion Activity (IPA), Augmentor, Impact Investment Exchange (IIX), and the Elahi group of companies.

Dr. Razi remarked, “Sehat Kahani, under the leadership of Dr. Sara Saeed Khurram and Dr. Iffat Zafar Aga, represents an inspiring tale in health technology. Amaanah Circle is honored to lend expertise and assist Sehat Kahani’s ambitions in reshaping the future of digital health and preventive care.”

Sehat Kahani, conceptualized by Dr. Khurram and Dr. Aga, has developed an innovative platform ensuring a rapid virtual consultation between physicians and patients in just a minute.

The startup delivers on-demand home and facility-based lab services and facilitates online medication dispatches, catering to a wide-ranging clientele, including businesses, individual consumers, and the often-neglected rural populace.

The continuous backing from USAID has been instrumental in Sehat Kahani’s evolutionary journey, stimulating innovation and fostering robust growth in Pakistan’s burgeoning digital health sector.

Dr. Khurram commented, “This funding marks a transformative phase for Sehat Kahani, paving the way for advancements like decision-making tools, precision medicine utilities, and predictive AI for enhanced patient care.”

Expressing gratitude towards their backers and initiatives like Weraise, she added, “We’re thankful for the unwavering support towards our cause and for championing women entrepreneurs.”

Sehat Kahani has broadened its corporate offerings, now providing an all-encompassing outpatient department management system, ensuring uninterrupted and paperless healthcare access for corporate professionals and their kin.

Their comprehensive wellness initiative for businesses underscores health advocacy and preventive healthcare.

Operational in over 310 locations across Pakistan, the consumer-centric application seamlessly integrates with major banking and lifestyle platforms, ensuring cost-effective and easily accessible healthcare solutions.

Dr. Aga highlighted, “Sehat Kahani’s impressive 141% year-over-year growth in recent times dispels the notion that telemedicine’s relevance was confined to the pandemic, evident from the fivefold rise in consultations post-COVID.”

She further revealed, “This growth emboldens us to venture beyond borders and position Sehat Kahani on the global map.”

With an extensive network of over 7,500 healthcare professionals and 62 e-health centers nationally, Sehat Kahani, in its pursuit to bridge healthcare disparities, uplift women in the medical field, and amplify its global footprint, is geared up for its next growth trajectory.

Maaike of Epic Angels, Asia-Pacific’s foremost female-centric investment group, voiced, “Sehat Kahani exemplifies our investment criteria: promising prospects and meaningful innovation.”

She concluded, “We have immense faith in Dr. Sara and Dr. Iffat’s leadership, envisioning Sehat Kahani as an emblem of innovation and a trailblazer in healthcare advancements.”

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Pakistani’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday launched a mobile application and helpline to address the issues related to mental health. The App titled “Humraaz” and toll-free helpline 1166 would provide free mental health assistance to the people.

“On this World Health Day today, I am pleased to announce the launch of Government’s first dedicated mental health App #Humraaz & helpline,” he said in a tweet.

The prime minister said citizens’ well-being and especially mental health was paramount for the society’s improvement. “We need to remove taboo around mental health,” he added.

Government of Pakistan’s initiative for citizens mental well-being. The aim of the initiative is to provide free consultation services and to improve health and quality of life of people suffering for deteriorating mental health.

Your doctor can help you get started with mental health services. HUMRAAZ App connects you with professional psychologists, doctors and psychiatrist from the hospital of your choice.

HUMRAAZ application is a perfect solution for those suffering from depression and anxiety. The users of this application are increasing day by day, showing gratitude, acknowledgement and appreciation remarks.

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These robotic capsules, known as the RoboCap, are covered in gelatin, have a tiny reservoir at one end, and have tunnelling characteristics in their main body.

MIT researchers and scientists have created a brand-new medication capsule that can totally replace insulin injections. These robotic capsules have the ability to pass through the body’s mucus barrier and small intestines before releasing the medication ingredients.

The mucus barrier in the digestive intestines was impenetrable to protein medications prior to the development of these robotic pills, thus doctors were forced to make do by injecting the medication straight into their patients.

“By displacing the mucus, we can maximise the drug’s dispersion within a local area and improve the absorption of both small molecules and macromolecules,” said Giovanni Traverso, a gastroenterologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Development Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering at MIT.

Orally administered protein medications begin to degrade even before they cross the mucus barrier; if they manage to penetrate further, the digestive tract’s acidic environment breaks down the pharmaceuticals. However, these new robotic pills can carry both insulin and vancomycin while effortlessly passing through mucus and the digestive tract.

The study’s lead author, Shriya Srinivasan, essentially built a protective capsule. This pill is made to readily pass through the barrier and tunnel through mucus.

“I reasoned that we could deposit the medication directly on the epithelium if we could tunnel through the mucus. She explained the concept of the robot pills: “The idea is that you would swallow this capsule and the outer layer would disintegrate in the digestive tract, exposing all these features that start to churn through the mucus and clean it.

These gelatin-coated capsules, known as RoboCaps, have a tiny reservoir at one end and tunnelling characteristics throughout the majority of the capsule. These capsules have a motor that starts spinning when they come into touch with a certain PH level, allowing the capsule to pass past mucus barriers.

“The RoboCap temporarily removes the initial mucus barrier before increasing local medication dispersion to improve absorption. We can really maximise our ability to create the ideal environment for the medicine to be absorbed by combining all of these components, according to Traverso.

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Punajb Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi has approved introduction of the cyberknife technology in the Jinnah Hospital in Lahore and Nishtar Hospital in Multan soon to treat cancer and other complex diseases free of cost.

The CM said while chairing a meeting that doctors would be trained about the treatment method. The Punjab government has made the method a part of the health card programme through the Ghurki Hospital, he added.

The chief minister said the government would also deliberate on giving the status of a university to the Allama Iqbal Medical College. Earlier, the CM stressed for making the best arrangements for the people coming to attend the annual international Tablighi congregation at Raiwind.

“They are the guests of the Punjab government who would be extended the best hospitality,” he said while chairing a meeting to review arrangements, security plans and other issues related to the occasion.

The first phase of the gathering will take place from November 4 to 6 and the second phase from November 11 to 13. The CM noted that a large number of people from across the globe were attending the annual congregation. He asked the administration to complete the arrangements on time while ensuring CCTV surveillance of the entry and exit points.

More cameras should be installed besides deploying additional patrolling police, he said and added that the number of wardens should also be increased to ensure a smooth flow of traffic.

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On Thursday, it was announced that MEDZnMORE had raised $11.5 million in a pre-Series A fundraising round, making it the largest such deal for any health-tech business in Pakistan.

Integra Partners, Nunc Gestion, Sturgeon Capital, and Alta Semper are among the investors in the deal. AlTouq Group, ACE & Company, Key Family Partners, Reflect Ventures, Atlas Asset Management, and a few angel investors are among the other investors. Asad Khan, Saad Khawar, and Babar Lakhani formed the company in late 2020 and raised $2.6 million in September of that year.

TezMedz and Tabiyat.pk, respectively, cater to business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) channels. According to the company’s press release, approximately 40% of all dispensed drugs in Pakistan are either fake or have lost their effectiveness. MEDZnMORE is attempting to address this issue by increasing the availability and accessibility of genuine medications.

It stated it works with pharmaceutical companies and their authorised distributors to supply legitimate medications to patients and retail pharmacies in Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad, where it has warehouses. Since last year, the firm claims to have grown by 42 percent month on month and now delivers over 100,000 products per day from its seven cold-chain capable warehouses in Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad.

Kiyan Zandiyeh, Chief Investment Officer at Sturgeon Capital, said the MEDZnMORE team had showed “a degree of focus and quality of execution that has resulted to remarkable traction” in a short period of time.

“This, together with a defined product roadmap, led us to assume that the company will be a category leader in the pharmaceutical sector, not just in Pakistan but throughout the region. We’re delighted to have invested in the company and are looking forward to the future “Zandiyeh remarked.

Asad Khan, the company’s chief executive officer, stated that the company’s goal was to make health and wellness items available across the country.

“As an ESG (environmental, social, and governance) investor, we found MEDZnMORE to share the same idea of sustainability and social impact,” said Jinesh Patel, managing partner at Integra Partners.

Patel claimed that the firm was addressing some of the industry’s most urgent issues and had gained a lot of traction in a short period of time.

“We are pleased to be a part of the stellar team’s journey as they alter the Pakistani healthcare scene,” Patel added.

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Dr. Saira Siddique has become the first solo female creator of a Pakistani firm, medIQ, that has raised $1.8 million in pre-seed capital. In Pakistan, women-led firms have only raised 3% of overall investment for the startup ecosystem in the last five years, therefore this fundraise represents a watershed moment for Pakistani women entrepreneurs, demonstrating what they can accomplish.

Dr. Saira Siddique, Founder & CEO of medIQ, said, “We are happy to complete this critical fundraising round, which is an affirmation of our holistic healthcare strategy from top investors with significant healthcare and technology expertise.”

“With a great capacity to become a regional player, medIQ is playing a crucial role in reinventing digital healthcare services by enhancing quality and convenience for patients, cutting costs for consumers, healthcare providers, and insurers.” In order to deliver an efficient model of care at scale, a healthcare system today must have an integrated digital platform. “mediQ has a proven track record, having serviced over 300,000 patients in just eighteen months,” she continued.

The COVID-19 pandemic acted as a spark for Pakistan’s startup scene, which saw investments jump from $65 million in 2020 to $350 million in 2021 across 83 deals. Despite its large market potential, the healthcare sector has lacked venture capital funding, which is projected to change as investors become increasingly interested in this sector.

“Our health-care system is fragmented, and hospitals are overcrowded since patients are required to visit a hospital even for minor illnesses.” “Timely, inexpensive, and holistic treatment is unattainable” because of an inefficient, “brick and mortar, hospital focused” strategy, according to Dr. Saira. “The average consultation wait time in hospitals is 90 minutes, with only 2.5 minutes spent on the actual consultation.

” 90% of patients can be treated without going to the hospital if they are treated at the point of need. With a “patient-centered” approach, medIQ is reversing the present model of hospital-centered healthcare delivery by bringing healthcare to individuals at their moment of need.

The round brings together a number of strategic investors, including Amaana Capital, based in the United States, and Cordoba Ventures, which focuses on the Middle East and Pakistan (CorVCF). Seraph Group, TAJDEED, APPNA (All Pakistani Physicians of North American Descent Association), House of Habib, and notable health tech angel investors from Silicon Valley also participated in the round. It is NRD Capital and Seraph Group’s first direct investment in a Pakistani startup.

medIQ is Pakistan’s first full B2B virtual care platform, offering everything a business or insurance needs to provide virtual care to its customers. It also serves individual clients in both urban and rural areas by linking them directly to health-care providers.

The medIQ-powered B2B virtual care solution includes a configurable plug-and-play technology stack, a full network of online pharmacies, online laboratory services, and GPs and specialists from 32 specialties, as well as nursing staff and dedicated home care teams. This is brought together by a proprietary electronic medical record system that records patient data in a single profile, facilitating data exchange and interoperability, and so enhancing care quality while lowering costs.

medIQ intends to use the funds to expand its tech infrastructure in order to deliver complete virtual care to businesses and patients, based on the development of AI and Machine Learning tools and the use of high-quality patient data. The organisation intends to spread its services across 20 Pakistani cities and regionally.

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Every person has the right to receive high-quality healthcare. However, 70 percent of Pakistan’s rural population faces issues such as a lack of access to primary healthcare. To close this gap, Xeven Solutions organised a free health camp in a remote community in Bahawalpur, where residents live in poverty and lack access to basic medical care.

Through telemedicine, the “Xeven Gives Back” initiative aimed to offer a communication link for village people with qualified and licenced healthcare specialists.

The team, led by M. Irfan Malik, Founder and CEO of Xeven Solutions, arrived well-prepared with not just their telemedicine solution, but also care packages for the community’s families. “We were astounded to witness people on the point of death from preventable ailments, all owing to inaccessibility and unaffordability,” Malik remarked.

“With just our initial screening utilising telemedicine and integrated point of care devices, we were able to discover common medical conditions in the population such as diabetes, hypertension, and hormone imbalances in females.”

The team’s global clinicians from the UK, US, and UAE delivered real-time video consultations with local healthcare providers and lady health visitors using INNOVA, Xeven’s integrated telemedicine technology. They gathered information from over a hundred patients and directed them to appropriate treatments and referrals.

This is yet another step forward in Xeven’s commitment to providing equitable healthcare. Malik is proud and optimistic that outreach activities like this would help Pakistan move closer to a healthier and safer future.

“With our substantial 15+ years experience and knowledge in the health tech field, we have embarked on a path to reach out to the poor sections of society and assist them,” says Malik.

Xeven Solutions has always been committed to improving community welfare and enriching people’s lives. With over 100 workers and two global offices, Xeven Solutions is one of the fastest growing software solution firms. They’ve created cutting-edge digital solutions for a variety of industries, including education, real estate, and banking, but their expertise lies in healthcare and marketing. With a staff of skilled developers, SMEs, and strategists, they continue to address changing company needs.

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Pakistan and Facebook have teamed up to fight Covid-19 because the world’s leading social media platforms have provided marketing partner assistance and advertising credits for campaigns against the deadly virus, and helped the government increase the rate of public participation in these publications.

In these activities, Facebook and some ministries focused on producing videos and information to increase public confidence in the “vaccine“. The messaging campaign helped the Ministry of Health increase its total number of likes to 470,000, improving the government’s ability to connect with people and provide information to its stakeholders.

Facebook said in a statement that it is important to join as a community to protect everyone. Other news that it will increase people’s confidence in vaccination through reliable health information and support the community’s confidence in vaccines.

As the Covid-19 vaccine is growing Provided to larger groups in many places, Facebook and the Ministry of Health have launched a new profile framework that allows users to share their support for a vaccination with family and friends.

Research shows that when people see other people they know and trust vaccinated, they are encouraged to do the same.

In cooperation with the Digital Media Department of the Ministry of Information, a campaign was launched for the Facebook community in Pakistan to raise awareness of the detection of Covid-related misinformation on Urdu social media.

This is especially effective when encouraging those who are otherwise unsure about getting themselves vaccinated.

The statement contained information from Dr. Faisal Sultan, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for Health, who stated that 76% of the target population had been reached through publicity campaigns on Social networks.

Dr. Sultan said: “We have emphasized the importance of using digital tools to convey important health information to citizens and ensure their safety and health, and added that Facebook has been working hard to take strong actions to eliminate harmful misinformation and to have resources Of people established contact with health authorities”.

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