Synergyzer sat down with Dr. Sara Saeed Khurram and Dr. Iffat Zafar, the visionary co-founders of Sehat Kahani, a groundbreaking telemedicine platform in Pakistan. Through their shared experiences and unwavering determination, these pioneering female leaders have transformed the landscape of healthcare in Pakistan by leveraging digital technology to connect skilled female doctors with underserved communities. Read their inspiring story, explore the impact of Sehat Kahani, and uncover their innovative strategies for balancing commercial success with profound social impact.
Synergyzer: What inspired Sehat Kahani, and what is the company’s vision for healthcare in Pakistan?
Dr. Sara Saeed Khurram: Born and raised in Karachi, my path to medicine was shaped early on by my father’s aspirations for me. Throughout my education at Dow University of Health Sciences, I encountered the stark reality that around 80% of my medical class is made up of females who do not intend to become a doctor to save lives, but they often become doctors because they can get better hands in marriages. I also saw the challenges faced by women in Pakistan’s medical field. Despite my passion for medicine, I couldn’t ignore the societal pressures and expectations placed on female doctors, especially after marriage and motherhood.
After initiating my residency in radiology and willing to gain valuable experience, my career took an unexpected turn during pregnancy. In order to continue working, I started to work in a community clinic, however as my husband got transferred to Lahore, I had to leave the clinic for a fairly new city. Within a few months, my daughter was born, and I was faced with the challenges of taking care of a young child while being at home. I, too, realized I may have become the doctor’s bride. This experience was not just a professional setback but also a personal struggle marked by postpartum depression. It was during these challenging times that my perspective on healthcare access deepened.
I saw firsthand the disparities in prenatal and postpartum care, particularly in underserved communities where access to qualified medical professionals was limited. Witnessing the hurdles faced by skilled female doctors who were sidelined due to societal norms and outdated practices, I became determined to make a difference. It was during this time that, taking the help of the nurse at the clinic that I worked in before, I started doing on-call consultations for patients coming to the clinic as there was no other female doctor willing to work in that clinic. That call transitioned into a video consultation, and the concept developed that if I sitting in Lahore could consult people in Karachi, why not so many other female physicians who do the same?
In 2017, driven by a passion to empower female healthcare professionals and improve healthcare access across Pakistan, I co-founded Sehat Kahani with Dr. Iffat. Our platform harnesses the power of telemedicine to connect qualified female doctors with communities in need, bridging gaps in healthcare delivery and challenging the ‘doctor bride‘ phenomenon. Sehat Kahani not only enables doctors to continue practicing independently of their marital status but also ensures that every patient, regardless of background, receives quality medical care and support.
Dr. Iffat Zafar: Growing up, I come from a broken family. My parents were separated when I was 12 years old. As a child, I faced conflicting expectations from my divided family—an elitist side that doubted my potential and a conservative side that believed a woman’s place was in the home. Despite these challenges, my father’s unwavering support fueled my determination to prove myself. Becoming a doctor was always my dream, not just for the prestige but because I wanted to make a real difference in healthcare. Medical school opened my eyes to the stark health inequalities in Pakistan.
Initially, I worked in the pharmaceutical sector, but I had to quit due to the loss of a child in a premature birth. Guilt-ridden owing to this loss, the next time when I conceived, I didn’t think twice and quit my job. After some time, when my healthy daughter was born and she turned 9 months old, I resumed work and met Dr. Sara, who was piloting the idea of connecting home-based female doctors with communities in need—a concept that deeply resonated with me. In 2017, I teamed up with Dr. Sara Khurram to co-found Sehat Kahani. Our mission was personal as well as professional: to challenge the unfairness that prevents women from practicing medicine after they’ve earned their degrees.
Sehat Kahani is more than just a job for both of us — it’s a response to the gender biases that limit women’s opportunities in healthcare. We’re using technology and community-based care to bridge gaps in healthcare access and empower female doctors to serve their communities fully. Our goal is simple yet profound: every woman deserves access to quality healthcare and the opportunity to fulfill her professional potential.
Synergyzer: How has your experience in the physical world of healthcare influenced the digital services provided by Sehat Kahani?
Dr. Sara Saeed Khurram: My experiences working in Pakistan’s healthcare system deeply influenced Sehat Kahani’s digital services. When I started my career, I saw firsthand how many women and underserved communities struggled to access basic healthcare. While working at DOW, I saw firsthand how many people from the most remote areas came to tertiary care hospitals just to die comfortably. With people having hardly access to healthcare in the most remote areas, traveling to bigger cities not only was imperative, it was often the only choice for many. Traveling to remote areas, I witnessed the long distances patients had to travel, often for inadequate care. This understanding shaped our telemedicine platform to be accessible, culturally sensitive, and user-friendly, ensuring that even those in the most remote areas could receive quality healthcare.
In 2019, we also realized that as a growing organization we really need to expand our horizon and we need to transition into being an Impact business instead of just being a social Enterprise. We understood that creating sustainable telemedicine clinics in communities while fulfilling the need of these communities, also creates sustainability over a period of 12 months, it does not fully solve the problem we are trying to cater to. It limits our reach to the population around the clinics and also limits the maximum number of physicians that we can really employ and that is when we thought of creating a mobile application which would allow anyone with a smartphone access to quality healthcare.
The mobile app has 2 distinct verticals; a consumer application which anyone can go onto the play store and download & a corporate application. The corporate application is used by individual corporations and insurance companies which enable this service for the companies which receive coverage through this platform. Pakistan has around 8 leading insurance companies so while they take care of the In Patient Healthcare services, we are responsible for the Outpatient care of the corporate employees and their families. The feature really loved by the corporations is the ability to access a doctor within 60 seconds through instant consultation without a time limit. Similarly, there is no limit to the number of consultations a family can avail through these services.
Dr. Iffat Zafar: Working in Pakistan’s healthcare sector, I saw the immense challenges faced by both patients and healthcare providers. During my time in the pharmaceutical industry, I met many people who lacked access to consistent and quality care, especially in rural areas. It is not only access to doctors which is limited but also access to other healthcare facilities is also very negligible. When we started Sehat Kahani, we wanted to ensure our digital services addressed these gaps.
For our Network of E-Health clinics, not only do we ensure that the community has access to qualified doctors, we also add specialists such as Gynecologists, Pediatricians. We also provide Mental Health by enabling access to psychiatrists and psychologists. There was also the need for quality diagnostics and quality medicines so we also created closet pharmacies within these clinics ensuring that authentic quality medicines are available to people. We also liaison with Labs and tertiary care hospitals to ensure a holistic coverage for patients.
For our mobile app again; we have integrated partner labs such as Essalab, Chughtai lab within our app so people can book labs from within the app and can even do home visits for blood sampling for these services. We have also added E-Pharmacy so anyone can order a medicine online and it can be made available at peoples homes. Interestingly; again building on the success of a B2B model, corporate employees can order a cashless pharmacy where it can be deducted from their medical claim. We also do end to end medical claims essentially providing 360 degree healthcare coverage.
Synergyzer: In what ways does Sehat Kahani’s status as a female-led company impact its operations and goals? How difficult was it to start the service in 2017?
Both: We feel being female leaders, we are more empathetic towards not only our employees but also towards the beneficiaries who will use our services. We both are doctors hence for every service line, we give a lot of thought of how that particular service will ease in creating affordable, accessible, efficient & quality healthcare so whether it is the Mobile app, whether it’s the E-Pharmacy, whether it’s the E-CLinics, we pay special attention to the benefits it brings to patients. We understand that women will be navigating a lot of responsibilities within their day to day roles so they are able to avail those flexibilities. For example employee moms who want to pick and drop their children from school can easily avail such flexibilities. We also built a nursery in our office to facilitate such team members. Being female founders, we feel we are also more meticulous when it comes to details.
As female leaders, we bring a unique perspective that emphasizes inclusivity and community engagement. This perspective not only guides our strategic decisions but also shapes our goals to create safe, accessible healthcare spaces through our various service lines.
As female founders of Sehat Kahani, we embarked on our journey in 2017 amidst significant challenges. In Pakistan, the healthcare and the startup sector traditionally hesitated to embrace female leadership, presenting a cultural barrier that we had to navigate with perseverance. While the E-Health clinics were very appreciated, when we began working on our Impact Business model i.e the Telemedicine app, the skepticism towards 2 females running a commercial or a profitable business compounded our efforts, as many stakeholders were not very comfortable with the concept of female leadership in a patriarchal country. Being female founders in Pakistan; securing initial funding proved to be another formidable hurdle. Opportunities for women entrepreneurs were limited, making it challenging to convince investors of our vision.. We faced skepticism about the scalability and sustainability of our initiative, which required us to strategically showcase the potential impact of Sehat Kahani.
However we got to meet some amazing mentors on our journey. Our very first mentors included leaders from the startup industry like Kalsoom Lakhani from invest2innovate, Raza Matin who had just come from Google, Omer Parvez (who runs metric now) who was our very initial Finance Advisor. Raza connected us to our very 1st investor Danish Elahi. Similarly our initial app was built by 10Pearls and later their Cofounder also became an investor in the company. After raising seed investment, we feel our journey got more appreciated and recognised. As we began to get traction, and we got to create partnerships for our various verticals, the seriousness of our work began to speak for itself. Working with international partners such as USAID, WHO, Grand Challenges Canada for our E-Health Clinics and working with Multinationals and Leading Insurance providers such as Jubilee Life & Jubilee General, Adamjee Life & General, Pak Qatar Takaful and now EFU & IGI has allowed us to create a very strong portfolio as an organization which is very gender agnostic. Today people meet us as Dr. Sara & Dr Iffat who are a dynamic duo building one of the most successful health tech organizations in Pakistan and not as any female figures.
Synergyzer: What strategies does Sehat Kahani employ to democratize healthcare access for underserved communities in Pakistan?
Both: At Sehat Kahani, our mission is to democratize healthcare access across underserved communities in Pakistan through a blend of innovative strategies and direct community engagement. Through telemedicine, we connect patients with qualified female doctors via our mobile app and local e-clinics, which also serve as vital community hubs for health education and outreach. Empowering local women is fundamental to our approach; by training and deploying female health professionals in these e-clinics, we not only address gender disparities but also build trust and understanding within communities. To enhance awareness and accessibility, we organize ‘Mohalla Meetings’ where we engage directly with local residents, educating them about the benefits of our services and how to access healthcare conveniently.
These meetings are pivotal for fostering community trust and involvement. Within our e-clinics, we establish support groups that provide a nurturing environment for patients facing health challenges, promoting mutual support and overall well-being. Additionally, we conduct health camps in surrounding communities, offering free medical check-ups, screenings, and health education to raise awareness about preventive healthcare measures. To reach a broader audience, we host interactive webinars on social media platforms where we discuss healthcare topics, share insights from medical experts, and address community questions in real-time.
This approach allows us to engage directly with diverse audiences and educate them on important health issues. In our commitment to affordability, we practice cross-subsidization within our e-clinics, ensuring that financial constraints do not prevent anyone from accessing healthcare. This model enables us to provide subsidized or free services to those in need while maintaining sustainable operations.
Synergyzer: How does Sehat Kahani address the ‘Doctor Bride Phenomenon’ and support female physicians in continuing their practice?
Both: At Sehat Kahani, we are deeply committed to addressing the ‘Doctor Bride Phenomenon’ and supporting female physicians in Pakistan to continue their practice. We provide flexible work options that accommodate their unique challenges, allowing them to balance professional responsibilities with personal and familial duties effectively. Through our telemedicine platform, female doctors can practice at both our Network of E-Health clinics as well as our App, overcoming geographical barriers.
Many doctors are based out of different geographies globally and are serving patients here in Karachi or KP or Balochistan. Understanding the unique nature of female physicians, We invest significantly in their professional development through continuous training and skill enhancement, fostering their confidence and competence in delivering quality healthcare. Our community support initiatives create a network where female physicians can connect, share experiences, and receive mentorship, mitigating feelings of isolation.
By advocating against gender biases in healthcare and implementing gender-responsive policies, we strive to create an inclusive environment that empowers female physicians to thrive and contribute meaningfully to the healthcare sector. We have also created an OLP(Online Learning Portal) platform which gives access to around 45 online courses based on the most prevalent diseases; enhancing their medical knowledge. Many of our physicians give their post graduation exams while working for us. Many doctors have cleared their MRCP, MRCGP, MRCOG, PLAB, USMLE exams while gaining experience at Sehat Kahani and are working in leading tertiary care hospitals worldwide while also continuing to contribute to Sehat Kahani.
Syenergyzer: Can you describe some ICT-enabled healthcare solutions Sehat Kahani has developed to improve health access and affordability?
From Perspectives of E-Clinics: Sehat Kahani has developed robust ICT-enabled healthcare solutions that significantly enhance health access and affordability at our e-clinics. These clinics are strategically located in remote and underserved areas, where traditional healthcare facilities are sparse and often difficult to reach. By leveraging telemedicine, we connect patients with a network of qualified doctors through video consultations, ensuring that medical advice and treatment are accessible without the need for long-distance travel. This is particularly beneficial in terrain-challenged regions like KPK and Balochistan, where traveling to hospitals can be both time-consuming and costly. Our e-clinics are equipped with advanced telemedicine technology, allowing for real-time consultations, diagnostic services, and follow-up care.
To further enhance affordability, we have integrated closed pharmacies within these e-clinics, providing medications at discounted rates. This not only reduces the cost burden on patients but also ensures they have immediate access to necessary treatments. Additionally, our e-labs and referral services allow for the collection and provision of lab services at the patients’ doorsteps, significantly reducing costs and improving convenience. Furthermore, our e-clinics are staffed with trained community health workers who assist in patient education and support, ensuring continuity of care.
These health workers play a crucial role in community engagement and health promotion, which helps in early detection and prevention of diseases. By reducing travel costs and providing affordable medications and lab services, Sehat Kahani’s e-clinics make quality healthcare more accessible and economical for remote and underserved communities.
From Perspectives of Mobile Applications for Corporate Users: For corporate users, Sehat Kahani offers a comprehensive suite of ICT-enabled healthcare solutions designed to improve employee health and productivity while reducing healthcare costs. Through our mobile application, corporate employees have access to a range of services that are covered by their employers, ensuring that healthcare is both accessible and affordable. The Sehat Kahani app provides employees with video consultations with a network of qualified doctors both General PHysicians as well as Specialists, allowing them to receive medical advice and treatment from the comfort of their homes or offices. This reduces the need for time-consuming visits to healthcare facilities and minimizes downtime, thereby increasing productivity.
Additionally, the app offers mental health support, chronic disease management, and wellness programs, encouraging employees to actively manage their health and well-being. To further enhance affordability, our e-pharmacy portal is integrated into the mobile app, enabling the corporate users to order medications at their doorsteps in a cashless manner; a very new initiative that no other pharmacy player is doing right now.. This not only saves costs but also ensures timely access to necessary treatments. Our holistic Claims Management solution provides a 360 degree coverage to beneficiaries covered by their employers with a robust claims reimbursement mechanism.
Moreover, our app includes features such as health records management, appointment scheduling, and health education resources, empowering users to take control of their health. Sehat Kahani’s corporate healthcare solutions also include tailored wellness programs and preventive health initiatives, which help in reducing the overall healthcare expenditure for companies by promoting a healthier workforce. By providing comprehensive, ICT-enabled healthcare services, we are committed to improving health outcomes and affordability for corporate users, ultimately contributing to a more productive and healthy society.
Synergyzer: What are Sehat Kahani’s plans for expanding into other geographies and utilizing AI in preventative healthcare?
Both: Sehat Kahani is poised for significant regional expansion, with strategic plans to extend its reach into new markets and leverage AI to enhance preventative healthcare., Sehat Kahani is currently working to enter the GCCmarket with a focus on broadening the corporate product offerings and establishing a strong presence through innovative service modules.
Furthermore, Sehat Kahani recognizes the transformative potential of AI in preventative healthcare. Sehat Kahani’s AI initiatives include developing predictive analytics tools to identify high-risk patients and implementing AI-enabled chatbots for initial consultations and triage. These chatbots can provide real-time health advice, monitor patient progress, and alert healthcare providers to potential complications. Additionally, Sehat Kahani is incorporating AI-powered decision support systems that utilize algorithms for diagnosis and treatment plans. These systems assist healthcare professionals in making more accurate and timely decisions, ensuring optimal care for patients.
Synergyzer: Speaking of expanding your services, Sehat Kahani recently raised $2.7 million. How did you prepare for the rounds, and now that you have secured the funding, what does it mean for your platform?
Both: Securing $2.7 million in funding was a pivotal achievement for Sehat Kahani, and it reflects the dedication and hard work of our entire team. Preparing for the funding rounds involved meticulous planning and strategic execution. We started by clearly defining our vision and mission, emphasizing our commitment to revolutionizing healthcare access across various demographics. Our preparation included extensive market research to understand the healthcare landscape better and identify growth opportunities. We developed comprehensive financial models to showcase the scalability and sustainability of our platform. Crafting a compelling pitch was crucial; we highlighted our impact, growth trajectory, and the unique value proposition of our telemedicine services. Building strong relationships with potential investors was essential.
We engaged with them early, sharing our success stories and the tangible impact as well as sustainable month on month revenue we’ve had on improving healthcare access. Transparency and clear communication were key throughout the process, ensuring that investors understood our goals and how their support would further our mission. Securing this funding opens up tremendous opportunities for Sehat Kahani. Firstly, it allows us to scale up our e-clinics and mobile health app, making healthcare services more accessible to a broader audience, including corporate clients and individual users. We have been able to create further revenue lines such as E-Pharmacy, Claims Management system and Home HEalthcare system; a unique platform providing hospital at home services backed by continuous remote monitoring. This is again a product very close to our hearts; seeing real life examples in our families where palliative care, geriatric care patients needed extensive care at home but we were unable to find it. We plan to invest in advanced technological infrastructure to enhance the user experience and streamline our operations. A significant focus will be on integrating AI-driven tools into our platform.
These include predictive analytics, AI-enabled chatbots, and decision support systems that use algorithms for diagnosis and treatment plans. These innovations will enable us to provide more personalized and efficient healthcare solutions, improving patient outcomes. Geographical expansion is another critical area. With plans to enter the GCCmarkets, the funding will support our regional growth efforts.Ultimately, securing this funding empowers us to continue our mission of providing affordable, quality healthcare to a diverse range of users. It strengthens our ability to innovate, expand, and make a lasting impact on the healthcare landscape, both in Pakistan and beyond.
Synergyzer: How does Sehat Kahani plan to increase user engagement and retention on its mobile application?
Both: At Sehat Kahani we proudly boast our 97% accumulative customer retention rate, by employing a variety of strategies that increase user engagement and retention on our mobile application, focusing on both individual consumers and corporate clients. Our approach is centered on creating a seamless and personalized experience for all users. features such as easy access to video consultations, electronic medical records, and prescription management, allow users to have all their health information in one place. We also offer health tips, educational content, and reminders for appointments and medication, making the app more useful and engaging.
Regular updates with new health articles, videos, and webinars by medical experts keep the content fresh and informative. For corporate clients, we also provide tailored health solutions that meet the specific needs of their employees. This includes customized wellness programs, mental health support, and preventive care initiatives that help improve overall employee health and productivity. We also offer detailed analytics and reporting tools that allow corporate clients to monitor the health trends and outcomes of their workforce. User feedback is crucial to our continuous improvement.
We actively seek feedback from all our corporate customers after 24 hours of their consultations. Other means to take customer feedback include input through surveys, in-app feedback forms, and user interviews, using this information to enhance app functionality and user experience. Our commitment to user satisfaction ensures that the app remains user-friendly and valuable. We prioritize technical excellence to provide a smooth and reliable user experience. This includes high-quality video consultations, easy navigation, and robust data privacy measures that build user trust and encourage regular use. Through these strategies, Sehat Kahani aims to create a loyal user base that finds our mobile application indispensable for managing their health and accessing quality healthcare services.
Synergyzer: How many consumers use Sehat Kahani’s mobile application, and how many e-health clinics are there nationwide?
Both: We have a Nationwide Network of 63 E-Health Centers present in all provinces. Out of these 63; 13 are with a B2G partnership where we have telemedicine setups present within 13 Basic Healthcare Units in AJK; working actively with the government on a Universal healthcare coverage model providing access to quality healthcare to the most marginalized. For our Corporate application, We work with 8 insurance companies providing coverage to 890+ corporations. These include organizations such as HBL, Meezan Bank, Mondelez, 10Pearls, etc. Collectively for our consumer & Corporate app, we have over 1.5 Million users registered on the application and collectively through our Network of Clinics and our mobile app, we have facilitated over 3.5 million online consultations till date.
Synergyzer: You recently met Mr. Bill Gates. What was it like, and how beneficial do you think this meeting was for Pakistan?
Dr. Sara Saeed Khurram: I had the honor of representing Sehat Kahani at a recent roundtable event during Mr. Bill Gates’ visit to Pakistan. This gathering focused on climate action, with a significant emphasis on health and agriculture, areas that Mr. Gates has dedicated his career to improving, especially in developing countries. Sehat Kahani stood out as the only female-led telemedicine company from Pakistan at this esteemed event. Sitting alongside Mr. Gates for over 40 minutes, I was struck by his genuine engagement. He listened attentively to every speaker, taking detailed notes and responding thoughtfully to each question. His approach went beyond finding solutions; it aimed to deeply understand the challenges faced. I took pride in sharing Sehat Kahani’s journey at this forum. Our clinics, applications, and the dedicated efforts of our female doctors have made a significant impact on community health in Pakistan.
I highlighted how our technology enables us to deliver high-quality healthcare to remote areas, optimize patient care in corporate settings, and utilize AI for predictive health analytics. During our discussion, Mr. Gates underscored the critical link between health and climate change, emphasizing how technological innovations can democratize healthcare access. His insights into the potential of AI solutions were particularly inspiring, reinforcing our commitment to pushing the boundaries of healthcare innovation.
The presence of influential leaders like Dr. Ayesha Khan, Maheen Rahman, and Faisal Khan Muhammed Bukhari, alongside Pakistan’s Honorable Prime Minister and other key figures in climate action, enriched the dialogue. This meeting was not just an interaction; it was a profound learning experience that will resonate with me for years to come. It reaffirmed my dedication to advancing Sehat Kahani’s mission, bolstered by the invaluable insights and encouragement received.
Synergyzer: What do you think is the future of healthcare in Pakistan?
Dr. Sara Saeed Khurram: The landscape of healthcare in Pakistan is evolving towards a more integrated and patient-centric approach. We’re moving beyond traditional healthcare delivery models to embrace telemedicine, AI-driven diagnostics, and personalized medicine. Sehat Kahani’s model, which empowers female health professionals and leverages digital platforms, exemplifies this shift. Looking ahead, I envision a healthcare system that prioritizes preventive care, harnesses the power of data analytics for decision-making, and ensures equitable access to healthcare services for all Pakistanis.
Our focus on innovation and community engagement will be pivotal in shaping this future. By integrating AI, we can develop sophisticated diagnostic tools and treatment plans that are tailored to individual needs, improving accuracy and outcomes. AI-enabled chatbots, decision support systems, and predictive analytics can revolutionize how healthcare is delivered, making it more efficient and effective. This technological advancement, coupled with our commitment to empowering female health professionals, will be crucial in transforming healthcare in Pakistan. Additionally, AI can help us in identifying health trends and predicting outbreaks, allowing for timely interventions and resource allocation. This approach not only improves individual health outcomes but also strengthens the overall healthcare infrastructure of the country.
Dr. Iffat Zafar Aga: The future of healthcare in Pakistan is poised for transformative change. We’re witnessing a shift towards greater accessibility and inclusivity, driven by technology and innovation. Sehat Kahani is at the forefront of this evolution, leveraging telemedicine to bridge gaps in healthcare delivery. For instance, in AJK, we have transformed 13 underutilized or non-operational basic health units into Sehat Kahani e-clinics. This initiative exemplifies how telemedicine can revitalize existing resources and provide quality healthcare to remote areas.
I envision a future where Pakistan has a telemedicine-integrated centralized universal health system. This system would ensure that every individual, regardless of their location or socioeconomic status, has access to quality healthcare. Through our expanding network of e-clinics and our robust mobile application, we are working towards making this vision a reality. The integration of telemedicine into the national healthcare framework can streamline services, reduce costs, and improve health outcomes across the country. This vision isn’t just aspirational; it’s achievable through collaborative efforts with stakeholders across sectors and a commitment to leveraging AI and digital solutions for better health outcomes.