KARACHI: In a groundbreaking achievement for the Pakistani startup landscape, health-tech startup Sehat Kahani has become the first all-women led company from the South Asian nation to secure $2.7 million in Series A funding, the firm said in a statement on Thursday.
Amaanah Circle, a Singapore-based health-tech fund led by Dr. Razi Yousuf, spearheaded the funding, joined by key investors including Epic Angels, a female-only investor collective, Cross Fund, USAID Investment Promotion Activity (IPA), Augmentor, Impact Investment Exchange(IIX) and the Elahi group of companies.
Sehat Kahani is among a myriad of social enterprises — businesses seeking to build a better world — that are innovating to plug health care gaps in developing countries, a task given added urgency by the COVID-19 crisis.
“Sehat Kahani is an incredible health-tech story led by Dr. Sara Saeed Khurram and Dr. Iffat Zafar Aga. Amaanah Circle (Singapore) is proud to contribute to the subject matter expertise, and in upscaling regionally and globally to the overall vision of Sehat Kahani in the future of digital health and preventive health care,” Yousuf said in a statement.
Sehat Kahani’s technology ensures a “seamless virtual connection” between doctors and patients within 60 seconds, offering on-demand at-home or on-premise laboratory services and online medicine delivery. The platform caters to a diverse nationwide patient base, including B2B clients, B2C consumers, and underserved populations in rural areas.
Sehat Kahani extends its corporate application into a comprehensive OPD management solution, providing corporate employees and their families 24/7 hassle-free and cashless access to specialists, online medicine delivery, and efficient claims management.
“The holistic 360-degree well-being program for corporates emphasizes health promotion and preventative care. The Consumer Application, operational in over 310 cities and towns across Pakistan, integrates seamlessly into prominent banking and lifestyle platforms, ensuring affordable and accessible health care,” the statement added.
Founder Khurram said the funding infusion marked “a pivotal moment for Sehat Kahani.”
“It will enable us to develop advanced features, including decision support systems, precision medicine tools, and predictive AI models to help our patients live fully by knowing their disease better,” she said.
Co-founder Aga said the company had shown average year on year growth of 141 percent in the last three years, overcoming the myth that telemedicine was only beneficial during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We have seen five times the cumulative growth in the number of consultations in the post covid era,” Aga said. “This gives us the confidence to expand operations to other countries and take Sehat Kahani global as our next move for expansion.”
In 2021, Khurram was announced as one of the five winners of the ‘WE Empower UN SDG Challenge,’ a first-of-its-kind global competition for women social entrepreneurs who are advancing UN Sustainable Development Goals and inspiring communities in their respective countries.
As COVID-19 strained Pakistan’s health system after 2020, the founders of Sehat Kahani decided to tap into tens of thousands of women doctors sitting at home, their talents squandered in a country where millions have no access to medical care.
Many families encourage their daughters to study medicine not for a career, but to bolster their marriage prospects. The phenomenon even has a name — “doctor-brides”.
Appalled by the waste of expertise, Khurram and Aga set up their telemedicine platform enabling female medics to provide e-consultations from their homes to patients in rural communities.
Sehat Kahani also liaised with the Pakistani federal government to provide free consultations to all patients during the first wave of COVID-19. They also installed apps in hospital intensive care units treating COVID patients, allowing junior doctors to get immediate advice from critical care experts based elsewhere.
Sehat Kahani becomes first all-women Pakistani company to raise $2.7 million Series A funding
https://arab.news/rvfst
Sehat Kahani becomes first all-women Pakistani company to raise $2.7 million Series A funding
- Sehat Kahani’s technology ensures a “seamless virtual connection” between doctors and patients within 60 seconds
- The health-tech startup has shown a significant average year-on-year growth of 141% in the last three years
Legendary Pakistani actor Talat Hussain passes away after prolonged illness
- Talat Hussain, whose career spanned six decades, featured in prominent TV dramas, stage plays and films
- Hussain received several awards during his lifetime, including Sitara-e-Imtiaz and Pride of Performance awards
ISLAMABAD: Legendary Pakistani actor Talat Hussain passed away in Karachi on Sunday at the age of 83 after a prolonged illness, his daughter confirmed, as tributes from prominent journalists and actors poured in from all over the country.
The actor, whose career spanned several decades from the 1960s and saw him perform in critically acclaimed TV dramas, movies and stage plays over the years, passed away at a private hospital in Karachi. Hussain is survived by a wife, two daughters and a son.
He starred in prominent projects such as Chiragh Jalta Raha, Ishaara, Gumnaam, Qurbani, Jinnah— The Movie, Actor in Law, Chupan Chupai and Project Ghazi.
“It is with profound grief and a very heavy heart that we announce that our dearest Talat Hussain passed to his eternal abode this morning,” his daughter Tazeen Hussain wrote on Instagram.
“Details of funeral and otherwise to follow later.”
Hussain studied at the prestigious London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. His stellar performances earned him prestigious awards throughout his career, including the Sitara-e-Imtiaz (Star of Excellence) award in 2021 and the Pride of Performance Award in 1982 by the Pakistani government.
He was also awarded the Amanda Award in 2006 for Best Supporting Actor in the Norwegian film “Import Eksport” and the Nigar Award in 1986 for Best Supporting Actor in the film “Miss Bangkok.”
“Talat Hussain was one of the very few actors in Pakistan whom every generation knows about,” prominent Pakistani actor Behroze Sabzwari told Geo News.
Sabzwari said Hussain was a very “unique” actor and had his own sense of style.
“I always received love and affection from him,” he said. “He was my friend and was a great man.”
Pakistan PM expresses sorrow as deadly accident kills 11 of a family
- Deadly accident occurred on Saturday when passenger van collided with truck on Muzaffargarh-Mianwali Highway
- PM wishes speedy recovery for injured, directs authorities to provide “immediate medical treatment” to them
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed deep sorrow and grief over an accident this week that killed 11 of a family and injured 10 others, the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported on Sunday.
The incident took place on the Muzaffargarh-Mianwali Highway on Saturday when a passenger van en route to Multan from Bhakkar collided with a truck. The accident resulted in the deaths of five men, three women and three children.
All 11 deceased were members of the same family, rescue officials confirmed, adding that they were traveling to visit relatives when the accident occurred.
“Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has expressed his deep grief and sorrow over the deaths of eleven members of a family in a traffic mishap on Muzaffargarh-Mianwali Highway,” APP said.
“The prime minister also wished speedy recovery of the injured and directed for the provision of immediate medical treatment to them.”
Road accidents are common in Pakistan, where traffic rules are rarely followed and roads, particularly in many rural areas, are in poor condition. In the mountainous Gilgit-Baltistan region, road tragedies are daily news.
Ten fan parks to broadcast iconic India-Pakistan T20 World Cup clash— ICC
- Fan parks in New York, Birmingham, Rawalpindi, New Delhi and South Africa to broadcast India-Pakistan match on June 9
- Political tensions between nuclear-armed neighbors India and Pakistan make their cricket rivalry one of sports’ fiercest ones
ISLAMABAD: Cricket fans in India, Pakistan, the United States and South Africa would be able to enjoy the iconic India-Pakistan T20 World Cup clash on June 9 in ten different fan parks in their countries, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said this week.
The ICC has announced that this year’s World Cup matches will be broadcast in fan parks where people will watch the action live on huge screens with live entertainment including DJs, food and drink outlets, cricket ambassadors and family activities. In total, 23 matches will be shown across 16 fan parks in five countries next month.
Political tensions between nuclear-armed neighbors India and Pakistan make their cricket matches a spectacle to watch for millions of fans across the globe. Diplomatic rows between the two countries mean they only play each other in other countries and only at international tournaments. Both haven’t played each other in a bilateral series since several years.
Pakistan captain Babar Azam will lead his side against Rohit Sharma’s India on June 9 in New York as both Group A teams lock horns in the ICC T20 World Cup fixture. The match will be broadcast in several fan parks across the world, the ICC said.
“Ten different fan parks will show the Group A game between India and Pakistan, including Cedar Creek Park, Seaford, New York hosted by Nassau County, the Indira Gandhi Indoor Arena in New Delhi, India and Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium in Pakistan,” the ICC said in a statement on Saturday.
In New York City, the Oculus World Trade Center is one of the standout venues, with the fan park showing 18 matches on 10 different dates, including the highly anticipated final on June 29.
“We are thrilled to be able to bring communities together through broadcasting the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 in a record number of fan parks,” ICC Head of Events Chris Tetley said in a statement.
“These parks are designed to make the sport more accessible and enjoyable, allowing fans of all ages to experience a T20 World Cup like never before,” Tetley added.
Pakistan beat India by 10 wickets during their T20 World Cup clash in 2021 but the blue shirts exacted revenge on their traditional rivals next year, beating Pakistan by four wickets courtesy of a fighting half-century by former Indian skipper Virat Kohli.
Pakistan reports third polio case of 2024 from southwestern Balochistan province
- Virus detected in stool samples from child in southwestern Killa Abdullah district, says state media
- Pakistan and Afghanistan remain only two countries in the world where polio remains endemic
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani authorities reported the third poliovirus case of the current year on Saturday, state-run media reported, as Islamabad struggles to contain the crippling disease despite nationwide vaccination and awareness campaigns.
The latest polio case was reported from Pakistan’s southwestern Killa Abdullah district on Saturday, the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) said in a report. The virus was detected in stool samples collected from a child in the Darozai union council of Killa Abdullah district, the report said, adding that he had developed symptoms of paralysis on April 20.
Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only two countries in the world where the poliovirus, which causes paralysis and can be a life-threatening disease, is endemic.
“It is incredibly tragic that another child has been affected by polio this year in Balochistan,” Dr. Malik Mukhtar Ahmed Bharath, coordinator to the prime minister on national health services, said.
Dr. Bharath said polio is a terrible disease that affects not only the life of the child but their family as well. He said the government was bringing vaccines to the citizens’ doorsteps, urging them to avail the opportunity.
“I urge families to understand the risk this disease poses to children and make sure that they vaccinate all their children under the age of five when the polio worker shows up to their homes,” he said.
This is the third polio case of the year reported from Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province and the first reported from Killa Abdullah after three years.
Last year, six polio cases were reported in the country which included four from the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province and two from the southern port city of Karachi.
Pakistan’s efforts to contain polio have often been met with opposition, especially in KP, where militants have carried out attacks against vaccinators and security teams guarding them.
Many believe in the conspiracy theory that polio vaccines are part of a plot by Western outsiders to sterilize Pakistan’s population.
Pakistani masses’ doubts regarding polio campaigns were exacerbated in 2011 when the US Central Intelligence Agency set up a fake hepatitis vaccination program to gather intelligence on former Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden.
Pakistani students praise teachers, landlords for ‘timely’ rescue during Kyrgyzstan mob violence
- Teachers stayed with students in hostels to protect them from rioters while landlords took many to safety
- Many students say they will resume their studies in Bishkek after their semester break ends in September
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani students evacuated from Kyrgyzstan after recent riots and violence against foreign nationals on Saturday lauded “tremendous and timely” support from their teachers and landlords, saying that they rescued and saved their lives.
Last week, violent riots erupted in the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek, following the emergence of online videos showing a brawl between local and Egyptian students of medical sciences. The mobs mostly targeted the hostels of medical universities and private lodges of international students, including Pakistanis, in the city.
Around 10,000 Pakistani students are enrolled in different institutes in Kyrgyzstan and nearly 6,000 of them were studying in Bishkek, according to Pakistan’s diplomatic mission in the Central Asian country. The Pakistan government has evacuated thousands of students stranded in Bishkek by arranging special flights following the riots.
“We are alive today due to tremendous, effective and timely support of our teachers and landlords shortly after the violence,” Bilal Ahmad, a fourth-year medical student from Vehari district in Punjab province, told Arab News on phone. “Our teachers stayed with us in the hostel the whole night to protect us from the mob.”
Ahmad said when the situation normalized in Bishkek, local elders and officials apologized to the students for the violence. “They shared their mobile numbers with us to call them in any emergency,” he added.
Social media platforms were abuzz with different videos and photos showing the mob attacks against the international students in Bishkek. The Kyrgyz miscreants barged into hostels to attack foreign students without discrimination. Five Pakistani students were injured as a result, according to the Pakistan embassy, one of them seriously.
“We locked our doors and windows and reinforced them with cupboards, tables and chairs to prevent the miscreants from entering,” Asadullah Khan, a third-year medical student from Quetta, told Arab News.
“We switched off lights of our rooms and prayed to Allah … We called our landlord and she immediately responded and rescued us from there,” he said, adding that she took around nine students to her residence in her own car on the gloomy night.
Khan said that members of local communities, teachers and other university staff had cooperated with the students in the difficult time. “They brought us food, water and biscuits and stood by us against their own people,” he continued.
He also informed the local community and teachers had widely circulated audio and video messages of apology to international students, including Pakistanis, a day after the violence, promising to do everything to hold all the criminals accountable.
Khan said his parents were worried about his safety, fearing that they may not let him resume his studies in Bishkek after the semester break ended in September.
“My parents are pushing me to migrate to a local medical college in Pakistan to complete my studies,” he added. “I have invested my three years and a lot of money, so let’s see when the education resumes.”
Some students said the situation was completely under control in Bishkek days after the violence, as the local police and paramilitary took charge of the security of hostels and private apartments where international students were residing.
“I will go back to resume my studies since I can’t waste my time,” Anjum Rasheed, a final year medical student from Peshawar, told Arab News. “The days of the violence are over now, and local Kyrgyz community has repeatedly apologized to the students for the unfortunate incident.”
“Our teachers and other staff of the university had been extremely cooperative during the mob attack, and there is no reason for us to quit the studies,” he said, adding that one of his teachers rescued him from the hostel and took him to a shelter arranged by a human rights organization in the city.
He also noted that a local family transported him with a couple of other students to the airport for their flight back to Pakistan.
