KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 29): Hong Seng Consolidated Bhd has signed an agreement with Pow Pocket Sdn Bhd to work together in the digitalisation of healthcare services through their respective e-commerce platforms.

In a bourse filing, Hong Seng said the two sides are seeking to cooperate with each other in the integration of business development activities centred around health services and the digitalisation of these services.

The services include vaccine sales and administration, Covid-19 testing, sales to general practitioners and clinics of consumables and value-added services, and medical screening via participating private laboratories.

Hong Seng said the collaboration agreement was signed by its unit eMedAsia Sdn Bhd, which is a 52% subsidiary of HS Bio (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hong Seng), which is in partnership with Koperasi Persatuan Perubatan Malaysia (KOOP MMA).

KOOP MMA is an investment vehicle of the Malaysian Medical Association’s (MMA) members.

eMedAsia currently runs a digital healthcare platform with the domain name of www.emedasia.com which provides online clinic appointment; an e-commerce marketplace for clinics to purchase pharmaceutical, medical and healthcare supplies; and for suppliers and pharmaceutical companies to place their medical and healthcare products for clinics to search and buy, together with the e-payment gateway system.

There are almost 2,200 member clinics in Malaysia which have registered with eMedAsia’s digital healthcare platform.

Under the collaboration agreement, eMedAsia is responsible for the provision of interconnectedness via software and or relationships with the MMA membership base of general practitioners and clinics, and where relevant eMedAsia will facilitate the integration of IT platforms for the mutual benefit of the parties.

Pow Pocket is responsible for the provision of the suite of platforms and services currently developed by itself, together with logistic services to facilitate vaccine and other products and services to aid sales and delivery, as well as business development and to drive new income generation across business verticals.

Currently, Pow Pocket is operating Jengu, which is a web-based digital health engine dedicated to Covid-19 screening, vaccination, and digital health. Other than that, it also operates the ImmuPlan portal, an exclusive digital platform for public and private vaccination roll out in the state of Johor under the guidance of the Johor Biotechnology & Biodiversity Corporation (JBiotech).

Pow Pocket is also HS Bio’s partner in Neogenix Sdn Bhd, which operates a web portal to register and perform health screenings for inbound travellers into Johor.

Hong Seng’s share price closed up 15 sen or 7.18% at RM2.24 on Wednesday, for a market capitalisation of RM5.72 billion.