Hutch-oDoc partnership revolutionises Sri Lankan telemedicine

From left: oDoc Head of New Business Development and Sales Nabeel Milhan, oDoc Co-Founder and CTO Keith De Alwis, oDoc Co-Founder and CEO Heshan Fernando, Hutch General Manager Marketing Hamdhy Hassen, and Hutch AGM Partnerships and Alliances Firaz Markar

Hutch, Sri Lanka’s preferred choice for mobile broadband services has partnered with the leading telemedicine service provider oDoc, bringing 24/7 online video General Practitioner (GP) consultation services directly to the mobile of every Hutch subscriber within three minutes of booking. oDoc real-time virtual consultations minimise the need to physically be present at hospitals/clinics to get medical advice, reducing the risk of catching COVID-19 and thereby assisting in the country’s pandemic prevention measures. 

With the Hutch-oDoc service, customers will be protected during the pandemic from unnecessary exposure to infections by reducing time spent at hospitals and clinics. It is particularly indispensable for patients or caretakers of patients in the vulnerable populations, such as senior citizens or the immune-compromised, who may not feel comfortable visiting hospitals/clinics. Customers will no longer need to waste time travelling or inside waiting rooms for physician channelling, and they won’t need to rush to hospitals with their infants on minor ailments. 

Customers living in remote areas with limited access to medical services can also make use of this service to access quality healthcare from Colombo whilst eliminating their medical related travel costs to Colombo. 

The milestone partnership brings oDoc’s top quality virtual video and audio GP consultation services at a very affordable subscription rate of only Rs. 99 + taxes per month. Through this service, customers can avail themselves of unlimited medical consultations at any time of the day from the comfort of their homes. Hutch subscribers can subscribe to this service by dialling *6363#.

Customers that prefer over the phone consultations may also request a call back using the *6363# USSD code. Once requested, a GP will call the user within just three minutes. 

oDoc physicians are authorised to issue over the phone prescriptions after detailed online medical consultations of the customer. In a matter of a few minutes, customers can access over 600 doctors from the new Hutch-oDoc service. 

Having launched the islandwide telemedicine service together with the Ministry of Health (MoH) and Information and Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA), oDoc’s mission is to uplift national healthcare. oDoc’s partnership with Hutch enables it to provide medical services to a wider section of society by leveraging Hutch’s mass subscriber-base that is continuously offered with latest high quality value-added services.  

Commenting on the new partnership, Hutch CEO Thirukumar Nadarasa said: “Hutch is a socially responsible company that addresses the concerns of the public. Our fullest support is given to such initiatives of taking affordable virtual healthcare to all homes across the nation. Telemedicine has evolved to be a mainstay in healthcare and has become even more critical in the face of COVID-19. We at Hutch are proud to partner with oDoc, a leading telemedicine service provider, to avail easy access healthcare to our loyal subscribers.”

oDoc CEO Heshan Fernando said: “At oDoc, we focus on providing everyone a means to prioritise their health. With over 300,000 oDoc users and 3500 app downloads per month, we are the pioneers in Sri Lanka’s telemedicine at present.

 The American Medical Association has confirmed that up to 75% of all physician visits can be handled via video calls, and we are pleased that we can leverage this latest trend. Over 450 doctors who specialise in 50 different areas have joined us in this ground breaking cause. Having such a service at patients’ disposal frees them of their hassle of frequent hospital visits, bringing huge relief to them.”