BENGALURU: Tech-savvy citizens who prefer to book a doctor’s appointment or seek help over health issues online will soon have another option on their fingertips –and for free. A new mobile application, called KnowDi, is going to be launched in the city this weekend, which will offer medical services free of cost to subscribers.
Citizens will be able to book appointments, manage their medical history with the doctor, book slots for lab tests and order medicines through the app. “We have tied up with local pharmacists in each area who will deliver medicines from 10am to 8pm within a 2km radius,” Pramod Arehalli, co-founder, Knowdi, said. “During the initial stages, we will not charge the customers. We might charge about Rs 20 in the future depending upon the distance,” he added. The platform is currently being launched in Bengaluru. The firm has tied up with 22 hospitals, over 50 pharmacies and 750 doctors in the city. They aim to consolidate its presence here over the next six to nine months, after which they will shift focus to other major cities in South India.
Patients using the application will have control over their medical records, prescriptions and diagnostic tests history, and would be able to access them anytime anywhere. The application will also bring about accuracy and process efficiency by enabling doctors and labs to access patient records. The firm had launched a pilot programme earlier this year, choosing a few people to try out the service.
“This application can be one of the few healthcare apps that are designed to make a doctor’s life easier,” Dr Kiran, a dental surgeon who owns a clinic in ISRO Layout, said. “We will be able to access the comprehensive medical history of the patient, which is rare to find. It makes accurate
diagnosis much easier.”