One of the UAE’s leading pharmacy brands has joined forces with TruDoc 24/7 to provide residents with “with round-the-clock access to medical consultation and services,” it has been announced.

BinSina Pharmacy Group has just launched the new offering via its recently launched e-commerce website, with the service first being available to those based in Dubai. It will later be rolled-out across the remaining emirates, the group confirmed in a statement.

TruDoc 24/7 is a UAE-based Population Health Management provider that “combines next-generation telemedicine, telemonitoring and home health” to provide instant access to licensed doctors and wellness experts via either voice or video calls, as well as live chat. BinSina’s service, which will run 24 hours a day, will focus on providing medical advice for non-emergency conditions via video call or live chat.

As of now, the service – available in languages including English, Arabic, and Urdu – is available for AED 150 ($41) for a three-month subscription, or AED 200 ($55) for an annual one. However, the website does not clarify what this subscription covers. 

Meanwhile, users will also be able to take advantage of a free home-delivery service for any medication prescribed during consultations. 

WHY IT MATTERS

This week, the UAE revised its partial lockdown conditions, bringing forward timings from 10pm-6am to 8pm-6am. During the day, residents have been warned to continue to only go out for necessary tasks and to observe social distancing measures.

Earlier this month, Okadoc fast-tracked the launch of its telemedicine solution to facilitate healthcare services for patients across the country, while in April, Aster DM Healthcare and HealthHub by Al-Futtaim introduced their own video-conference-style consultations.

Meanwhile, the UAE’s Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) has also opened access to new telemedicine applications and facilitators as part of its “efforts to support hospitals and clinics in providing remote healthcare services”, working with the telecom operators Etisalat and du to provide access on “an exceptional basis on all networks until further notice”.

ON THE RECORD

“Ensuring the health and safety of UAE residents, especially during these challenging and uncertain times, is paramount,” said Ian Hunter, chief operating officer of BinSina Pharmacies. “Moreover, telemedicine’s transformative power of providing quality healthcare while reducing wait-times and medical costs, is proving most useful at a time when residents are being encouraged to practice social distancing to help combat the current COVID-19 outbreak. 

“We have partnered with TruDoc 24/7 to provide individuals with immediate and cost-effective medical attention, without having to leave their homes unless required.”