Company taps niche for patients needing transport

MALAYSIANS are quickly embracing technology when it comes to public transportation. City dwellers who have to deal with a patchy public-transportation system have quickly taken to app-based solutions when it comes to finding a ride.

Smartphone apps like Uber and MyTeksi have seen rapid expansion in the region over the last 24 months.

MyTeksi — founded by two Harvard Business School grads — is an automated smartphone booking and dispatch platform that has been a lifesaver for many.

Seen as a competitor to MyTeksi, Easy Taxi, a mobile e-hailing application founded in Brazil has investors that include Swedish telecommunications and media company Millicon and iMENA, an investment firm based in Dubai and Jordan.

US-based Uber launched its app last year in Singapore and quickly expanded into Bangkok, Manila and Kuala Lumpur.

Launched in 2009, Uber is present in 70 cities today and its rapidly expanding global presence continues to bring people and their cities closer.

The way we hail a cab or any other form of public transportation as we know it has changed.

Door2Door

Now there is also a solution for those needing help with transportation to medical appointments.

Non-emergency medical transportation is meant to help individuals, generally the elderly and disabled, who are not in an emergency situation but need more assistance than a taxi service provides.

According to reports, the number of senior citizens is expected to rise 9.9% by 2020 and it is projected that by 2030, 15% of Malaysia’s population will be the elderly.

Dr Prathaban decided to set up the Door2Door Doctor service after he noticed that patients had to take a taxi or drive themselves to hospital despite being ill.

 

As this continues, more senior citizens will be needing special assistance as they grow older. For some, there will be a need for hospital visits, regular checkups and consultation’s with doctor.

However, with most Malaysians holding regular jobs without flexible hours, it is almost impossible for children to take their parents for medical checkups.

The situation is similar for those working overseas with their parents in Malaysia. Having gone through the same ordeal with his father, Dr Prathaban Raju decided to start the Door2Door Doctor service through his company, Suria Medical Logistics.

“My dad was diagnosed with cancer and I was working in a hospital in another state. It was a difficult time for the family,” said Prathaban.

“As a doctor, you only see patients that are sent to you, but at the time my father was ill I started to realise how hard it is for a patient to get to medical appoitments,” he added.

Dr Prathaban then started asking his patients about their trips to the hospital and found out that some of them had to take several different modes of public transport for a short visit and a regular checkup.

The wheels started turning and Dr Prathaban made note of the fact that a significant number of patients had be dropped off by family members, drive by themselves despite being ill or even take a taxi. And with the traffic and parking situation in many hospitals, a simple visit to the hospital, became a difficult task.

“It was sad to see that some patients had to leave their homes at 6am only to see a doctor six hours later,” he said.

This prompted him to study a business model that allowed patients to make trips to their hospital of choice without having to burden anyone or rely on public transportation.

A file image of cars trying to get into Hospital Kuala Lumpur. The company says its service does away with the pain of trying to get to doctor’s appointments for those who drive or rely on public transport.

 

He then decided to invest RM200,000 to start the the Door2Door Doctor service.

“It was not easy when I first started. Going from the medical field to being an entrepreneur was a big step for me. I had to teach myself everything,” said Dr Prathaban.

“The Door2Door Doctors model is simple. We pick up clients who have regular checkups at hospitals based on their schedules and send them back,” he explains.

Using a membership model that starts from RM49, Door2Door Doctor differentiate themselves from regular taxis by providing wheelchair access in their van, a trained medical representative to oversee the commute and a 24-hour phone consultation service.

Door2Door Doctor also helps members set appointments at hospitals. Qualified nurses and a physiotherapist are also available if the client decides they require one.

Prathaban explained that the price of commute is calculated based on taxi rates and the number of trips each week.

“We can customise our membership depending on their needs,” said Dr Prathaban.

“We are not an ambulance service. We do not respond to emergencies. We are focused on catering to people who need a reliable, safe and on-time transportation service to and from hospitals,” he said.

Big plans

Despite being a new company, Door2Door Doctor plans to add five more vehicles to its fleet within the next 12 months.

“We have been getting great feedback from the public. We are now operating the PJ/KL area and we are looking to expand,” said Dr Prathaban.

The company has also been actively looking for seed funding and angel investors. The company is also looking to expand its services to smartphones via apps.

“Right now, our customers are mostly children who have very limited time to send their parents for a regular checkup. So the younger generation is using our services for their parents,” said Dr Prathaban.