The urgent need for healthcare super apps Emirati entrepreneur Ali Sajwani calls for SMEs and entrepreneurs to develop healthcare super apps to improve health of UAE residents
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ncreasing healthcare costs, need for on-demand solutions, and growing health consciousness among consumers indicate a necessity for the development of healthcare super apps. The global mHealth market size is estimated to reach US$166.2 billion by 2028, so now the time is right for SMEs and entrepreneurs to play a leading role in further developing the mHealth sector in the UAE.
According to Emirati entrepreneur Ali Sajwani, general manager of operations for global real estate development company DAMAC Properties, the COVID-19 pandemic is driving demand for healthcare ‘super apps’ in the UAE. Sajwani, who has led the digital transformation within DAMAC, is calling for entrepreneurs and SMEs throughout the UAE to channel their creativity and innovation
into accelerating the development of a healthcare super app to enhance the wellbeing and health of the nation. Super apps offer online messaging, social media, marketplaces, and other services under one umbrella. In emerging markets, super apps such as China’s WeChat and India’s Paytm and PhonePe are already transforming the services ecosystem. WeChat, for example, is one of the leading social networks, with 1.25 billion monthly active users worldwide in Q2 2021, according to Statista. In healthcare, although super apps are still in their embryonic stage, medical devices are getting smarter by the day. iWatch, Fitbit, BLE heart rate monitors, pulse rate monitors, diabetes checkers and many more devices provide a detailed insight when paired with mobile apps. Medical
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