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OBG report highlights development of telehealth in Egypt with Altibbi as key player
Egypt Health COVID-19 Response Report – issued by the Oxford Business Group (OBG) on June 27, 2022– highlighted the development realized in telehealth in Egypt, especially in response to the COVID-19, with Altibbi as key player in this regard.
Although several health tech start-ups have been already operating in Egypt even before the pandemic, including Chefa and Vezeeta, new opportunities in telehealth arose to support Egypt’s Covid-19 response.
The Ministry of Health and Population launched a hotline service in cooperation with Telecom Egypt to provide free medical consultations.
Altibbi, an integrated digital health platform, took over management of the hotline, hiring an additional 600 physicians.
Pilot projects are in development across the country similar to the General Authority for Health Care’s rollout of telemedicine services in Port Said.
The country is also turning to AI solutions, which have gained increasing prominence in the Egypt health care landscape.
In 2021 the Ministry of Communication and IT (MCIT) launched the National AI Strategy to expand the use of the technology and transform the economy by targeting priority sectors, including health care.
With approximately 400m individuals in the Arab world lacking access to essential health services, Altibbi also disseminates medical content online in Arabic.
This helps patients access medical information and advice from certified professionals, while reducing the pressure on countries’ health care systems. This is especially important in Egypt, where there are an estimated 1.3 hospital beds per 1000 people.
The use of technology in health care could increase efficiency and support existing infrastructure that has been under increased pressure from shifting demographics and disease trends.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Altibbi – which is the first platform in the Arab world to provide remote medical consultations- saw a significant rise in demand for its services and hired more staff to maintain operations.
The company also took over managing Egypt’s Covid-19 hotline from the Ministry of Health and Population, and Telecom Egypt. This allowed Altibbi to hire an additional 600 physicians to provide information and consultative services. The remote nature of the hotline proved useful in finding a sufficient number of medical providers for areas across the country. While the acute rise in demand is expected to subside once the pandemic ends, telehealth and remote treatment, the digitalization of patient data and information resources, and the use of artificial intelligence will continue to improve the quality of care.
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