Fodhil Benturquia, chief executive and founder of Okadoc.com. The start-up is planning to expand into Saudi Arabia this year. Leslie Pableo for The National
Fodhil Benturquia, chief executive and founder of Okadoc.com. The start-up is planning to expand into Saudi Arabia this year. Leslie Pableo for The National
Fodhil Benturquia, chief executive and founder of Okadoc.com. The start-up is planning to expand into Saudi Arabia this year. Leslie Pableo for The National
Fodhil Benturquia, chief executive and founder of Okadoc.com. The start-up is planning to expand into Saudi Arabia this year. Leslie Pableo for The National

UAE's health-tech start-up Okadoc raises $10m for tele-medicine and Gulf expansion


Deena Kamel
  • English
  • Arabic

UAE-based start-up Okadoc raised $10 million (Dh36.7m) in its latest funding round from institutional and private investors to finance plans to launch tele-medicine services and expand its footprint across the Gulf.

The health-tech firm's Series A round of financing received backing from Abu Dhabi Investment Office (Adio) and Ithmar Capital Partners, Okadoc said in a statement on Wednesday.

"The fund-raising is for expansion. We are launching tele-medicine and expanding in the region," Fodhil Benturquia, founder and chief executive of Okadoc, said.

Healthcare providers in the Gulf are expanding as the population increases and the cost of treatment edges higher. Expected improvements in the quality of healthcare provision, together with rising demand for preventive care and digital medical services are set to drive growth in the industry.

Medical search portal Okadoc, which previously raised $2.3m in a seed round in 2018, is planning to expand its operations to Saudi Arabia this year, starting with Riyadh and Jeddah, before targeting other cities.

"We are going very big in Saudi Arabia, we are talking to large healthcare providers and smaller clinics," Mr Benturquia said. "Our plan is quite aggressive there. It’s a very big market."

Other Gulf countries are also within Okadoc's sights, he said, declining to disclose details. The start-up already has operations in the UAE and Indonesia.

Okadoc will also invest in providing tele-medicine, a service that will allow patients to access virtual consultations with their doctors remotely, in the UAE from this year.

"What we are seeing through data and talking to our customers is that there's a lot of questions: In which case should I see a doctor? Sometimes they want to talk to a doctor for a symptom check or to see if the case is serious or not," he said. "There's a big need for assessments, follow-ups, seeking a second opinion."

The service is aimed at underserved populations with limited access to healthcare.

It would help improve access to doctors for UAE patients living in the northern emirates, where a wider range of medical specialities is harder to find, according to Mr Benturquia.

It would also serve patients in Indonesia, where the ratio of doctors per capita is among the lowest in the world, reducing waiting times for those in remote rural areas or those in the traffic-clogged capital Jakarta, he said.

Okadoc, which has a team of 30 employees in Indonesia, is undertaking safety precautions in the country where cases of the deadly coronavirus have been detected.

It is advising staff to work from home and circulating the WHO's recommendations on health and safety measures.

The platform has not seen a spike in doctor bookings following the spread of coronavirus, Mr Benturquia said.

Okadoc - which was founded in 2018 to help patients book doctor appointments instantly -says its platform helps doctors, clinics, and hospitals reduce 'no-shows', improve the booking process, reduce administrative costs, increase operational efficiency and attract new patients.

The service, which is free for patients, helps users find a doctor as per the insurance network, location, speciality, the language they speak, or gender. Patients can then view doctors' availability in real-time, instantly book appointments, receive reminders, reschedule, cancel or even request earlier availability.

How to keep control of your emotions

If your investment decisions are being dictated by emotions such as fear, greed, hope, frustration and boredom, it is time for a rethink, Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading platform IG, says.

Greed

Greedy investors trade beyond their means, open more positions than usual or hold on to positions too long to chase an even greater gain. “All too often, they incur a heavy loss and may even wipe out the profit already made.

Tip: Ignore the short-term hype, noise and froth and invest for the long-term plan, based on sound fundamentals.

Fear

The risk of making a loss can cloud decision-making. “This can cause you to close out a position too early, or miss out on a profit by being too afraid to open a trade,” he says.

Tip: Start with a plan, and stick to it. For added security, consider placing stops to reduce any losses and limits to lock in profits.

Hope

While all traders need hope to start trading, excessive optimism can backfire. Too many traders hold on to a losing trade because they believe that it will reverse its trend and become profitable.

Tip: Set realistic goals. Be happy with what you have earned, rather than frustrated by what you could have earned.

Frustration

Traders can get annoyed when the markets have behaved in unexpected ways and generates losses or fails to deliver anticipated gains.

Tip: Accept in advance that asset price movements are completely unpredictable and you will suffer losses at some point. These can be managed, say, by attaching stops and limits to your trades.

Boredom

Too many investors buy and sell because they want something to do. They are trading as entertainment, rather than in the hope of making money. As well as making bad decisions, the extra dealing charges eat into returns.

Tip: Open an online demo account and get your thrills without risking real money.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Specs

Engine: 51.5kW electric motor

Range: 400km

Power: 134bhp

Torque: 175Nm

Price: From Dh98,800

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UK-EU trade at a glance

EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years

Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products

Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries

Smoother border management with use of e-gates

Cutting red tape on import and export of food

F1 The Movie

Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Rating: 4/5

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How to help

Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm

Transmission: 9-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km

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Price: From Dh117,059

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Company Profile:

Name: The Protein Bakeshop

Date of start: 2013

Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani

Based: Dubai

Size, number of employees: 12

Funding/investors:  $400,000 (2018) 

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Part three: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

Dust and sand storms compared

Sand storm

  • Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
  • Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
  • Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
  • Travel distance: Limited 
  • Source: Open desert areas with strong winds

Dust storm

  • Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
  • Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
  • Duration: Can linger for days
  • Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
  • Source: Can be carried from distant regions