AugmentCare (AC), a multifaceted healthcare app that allows patients to connect with doctors and pharmacies has now added laboratories to the list by partnering with Chughtai Labs , Pakistan’s largest network of laboratories.
The MoU was signed on January 4 in a ceremony held at AC’s head office in Lahore by Hyder Mumtaz, CEO of AugmentCare and Dr. Omar Chughtai , Director Operations Chughtai Labs . The ceremony was attended by key members of AugmentCare and Chughtai Labs’ management teams, Ali Naqvi-part of AC’s Advisory Board and owner of Islamabad United and Leonine Tech Ventures, as well as members of the press.
AugmentCare and Chughtai Labs’ partnership is a momentous milestone in addressing the issue of bridging the gap between doctors, patients, and laboratories by enabling quicker and more efficient healthcare. Accordingly, it will not only benefit patients but will also serve as a major convenience for doctors, saving them ample time and enabling quicker diagnosis. With the availability of centralized digital records, Doctors will not have to repeatedly ask patients regarding tests results and medical history. The automation of this key process during healthcare delivery is designed to eliminate any redundancies and delays previously faced at this juncture.
AugmentCare and Chughtai Labs have partnered to provide patients with the facility of ordering lab tests via the AugmentCare app. Upon request, a phlebologist will visit the patient’s home, collect a blood sample, and provide the patient with a lab report via the app which a doctor can also easily view online. “This immensely simplifies the process and eliminates delays caused by the inability to go to a doctor to show your lab reports to and the delay of collecting them from your laboratory,” said Hyder Mumtaz. “This integration will also significantly facilitate the doctor who can simply ask the patient to conduct certain blood tests and view the reports online rather than having to ask the patient to visit multiple times. This previously increased the time lag between consultation, diagnosis, and treatment.”
“Being associated with Pakistan’s largest laboratory network is an honour for us and will enable us to enhance patient trust and ensure that doctors are given access to a greater number of patients through the app and vice versa. We are looking forward to exploring other options with Chughtai Labs ,” continued Mumtaz.
Dr. Omar Chughtai also expressed enthusiasm regarding the integration and said, “Healthcare is a very rewarding and satisfying field as you are actually improving lives. We are looking forward to working with AugmentCare in achieving this mission because we think Team AugmentCare is highly driven, purpose-oriented, and focused. Together, we can make a change.”
Ali Naqvi shared the same positive sentiments in his statement to the press, “This is a very powerful partnership that represents exactly what contemporary healthcare in a technology-driven world should be like. Lab reports are a critical component to enabling healthcare mobility across the ecosystem and this move allows greater convenience to the end-user, from one care provider to another. I believe this partnership is a much-needed first step in introducing the mandate of digital & telehealth to Pakistanis and will open the gate to similar collaborations within the ecosystem. Both companies have further projects in the pipeline which will bring an unprecedented change to making quality healthcare more convenient and accessible.”
AugmentCare and Chughtai Labs are exploring other avenues of collaboration which include the integration of Chughtai’s Diagnostic Services, pharmacy network, and HomeCare 24/7- a service which provides 24-hour in-home nursing care by qualified nursing staff to the elderly and those suffering from acute or chronic illnesses. ChughtaiLabs is also exploring the opportunity of using AC’s Clinic Management System in all of their laboratories and medical centres.
Compared to its counterparts, AC is growing at a rapid pace with over 50,000 patients currently signed up and numbers continuously growing, marking commendable achievements in a short period of time. The Lahore-based company is gradually expanding to other cities and has developed partnerships with highly reputable names in the healthcare industry including Fazal Din, Sehat, TPL, and Alfalah Insurance- established insurance providers.
Chughtai Labs , has now existed for 34 years and is widely dispersed with 160 laboratories in 50 cities of Pakistan and offers a number of services enhancing convenience in healthcare.
The partnership depicts a progressive approach towards bringing Pakistan in line with global healthcare standards, and is a positive start to 2018. This is the first of several other potential collaborations between the two companies in the future and the management of both are hopeful of a longstanding association.
