The company aims to set up 500 Sehat First Health Centers across Pakistan by 2012. It has already established 3 self sustaining pilot centers in the first year which have served over 9000 patients. The Sehat First franchised health center model consists of a health clinic, pharmacy, multipurpose tele-center and a general store, with 80-90% of revenues coming form the pharmacy and general store.
Key to its success has been its strategic partnerships with Multi National Companies such as, Unilever Pakistan Limited (UPL), and local community based organizations such as the Pakistan Fisher Folk Forum. This holistic approach has simultaneously created entrepreneurs and addressed the critical lack of healthcare and pharmaceuticals, while ensuring self-sustainability based on sound business principles.
A unique component in the Sehat First model is the telehealth consulting service, which supports the local clinic staff with IP-based Video Phone consultations with a qualified physician. The video phone telehealth consultation service has proved itself with a savings of time, money and resources while being received very enthusiastically by patients and practitioners alike. The simple IP based video phone has enabled access to specialists including gynecologists and pediatricians, which these patients, in particular, would otherwise not have had access to. This use of telehealth is particularly innovative as it makes use of a large number of Pakistani women who have completed medical school, but do not join to the work force for cultural reasons.
