idsMED and WeDoctor launch China’s first Smart Medical Supply Chain and Procurement company
Leading medical supply company IDS Medical Systems Group Limited has partnered with digital health company WeDoctor Holdings Limited to establish China’s first smart medical supply chain solutions and procurement company.
IDS Medical Systems encompasses an extensive Asia Pacific distribution network with access to over 10,000 healthcare institutions and represents over 200 global medical brands in equipment and medical consumables. These include GE Healthcare, Philips, Maquet, Smiths Medical, Teleflex, Ansell and others. WeDoctor operates four main business segments; WeDoctor Healthcare, WeDoctor Cloud, WeDoctor Insurance, and WeDoctor Pharma.
Named idsMED WeDoctor China Ltd, the government of Changting County in Fujian Province has also signed a strategic cooperation agreement to drive the establishment of an innovative medical devices platform in Ting Zhou, China.
The platform is designed to create new channels for medical devices and consumables to conduct technology transfers, license applications, company establishment, as well as investment and capital market coordination. The platform aims to support and attract both domestic and international medical device providers into Changting.
idsMED Group, a member of the Fung Group, is Asia's leading and largest integrated medical supply chain solutions company with a comprehensive distribution and value-add service network across Asia.
Backed by Chinese juggernaut Tencent, digital health company WeDoctor provides seamless online and offline healthcare services, as well as integration of general practitioners and specialist doctors.
Harnessing big data, artificial intelligence and other digital tools to deliver cutting-edge healthcare support services to over 2,700 hospitals, 240,000 doctors and 160 million platform users in China, the partnership will provide strategic value to both parties.
Leveraging their complementary strengths, innovative resources and networks, the duo will seek to connect medical manufacturers and service providers with hospitals and care institutions in China to procure medical devices, consumables and services centrally.
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Through the partnership, the company aims to transform the currently fragmented, multi-layered and relationship-driven medical device and consumables distribution system in China, reduce costs and increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the medical supply chain.
The joint venture, owned 51% by WeDoctor and 49% by idsMED Group, will further enhance its value proposition by managing and optimising the entire medical supply chain.
Additionally, it will set up Medical Education and Training Academies across China to deliver and promote medical products and clinical education as well as accredited medical training courses and education seminars for doctors and nurses and the medical community.
“The healthcare sector in China is a flourishing market going through rapid change and unprecedented reform. This cooperation is an important initiative of WeDoctor to contribute towards improving the supply chain efficiency of China's medical service system,” explained Jerry Liao, Chairman & CEO of WeDoctor.
“I am tremendously excited at the huge prospects of our partnership with idsMED Group to provide China's vast population with more accessible, more affordable and better-quality healthcare services."
Ben Chang, Chief Executive Officer & Founding Partner of idsMED Group, added, "This joint venture provides significant strategic value to the medical industry and immense socio-economic benefits to the people of China.
“WeDoctor is the perfect partner for us to develop and implement a smart, neutral online platform to provide a transparent, open and value-base procurement system. Together we have the unique opportunity to simplify and modernise the medical device and consumables distribution model in China and make healthcare even more affordable to the people on the Chinese mainland.”
According to the China Medical Devices Report Q3 2018 by BMI Research, a research firm under Fitch Ratings, online solutions are expected to play a crucial part in the growth of China’s healthcare industry, with medical device market set to grow from US$21.5bn in 2017 to US$39bn in 2022.
