Exclusive | Tencent-backed WeDoctor makes IPO appointment in Hong Kong and writes prescription for digital health care post-pandemic
- Coronavirus pandemic turbocharged consumer adoption of digital health care in China and won the sector policy support
- WeDoctor’s path to profitability to undergo examination ahead of US$700 million to US$800 million IPO in Hong Kong
When Dr Gao Jin’s clinic closed during the coronavirus pandemic she ramped up virtual consultations from home, talking over her laptop with people from across China who were worried they might have caught Covid-19.
After returning to work at her clinic in Chengdu, Sichuan province, she still puts aside a few hours a week for virtual chats. Some of her patients now prefer to seek advice online rather than waiting an average of three hours for an eight-minute consultation in China’s hospitals.
“In the public hospitals, the time for each patient is very limited, so the patient is not clear about follow-up or not sure about the medicine they’ve got,” said Dr Gao, who charges patients for sessions that normally last about 20 minutes.
As lockdowns are lifted, health care companies are scrambling to ensure patients who logged on for the first time do not all revert to sitting in doctors’ surgeries.