Masoud Taj-Fard, co-founder of the Snapp Doctor platform, spoke about regulatory issues in the healthcare sector during an interview. He emphasized that regulators have not properly addressed the issues related to healthcare platforms.
Taj-Fard expressed optimism regarding the overall approach of the government towards platforms and the efforts of the Ministry of SAMT in this sector. However, he stated that the necessary developments in this field have not yet occurred, and sufficient measures have not been taken.
The Growth of Healthcare Platforms
According to IDEA, In this conversation, Masoud Taj-Fard initially addressed the issue of the growth of healthcare platforms during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to him, the growth of the healthcare platform sector began four years before the COVID-19 pandemic. Taj-Fard stated, “The digitalization of healthcare was not limited to the COVID-19 pandemic. Even before the pandemic hit our country, we had predicted that healthcare digitization would soon become a reality. With this in mind, four years prior to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, we embarked on this path with the launch of Teleyar and subsequently Hospitel.”
The spread of the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the growth of this sector and drew the attention of investors. After the end of the pandemic worldwide, not only did the growth of this sector not stop, and businesses did not decline, but they are continuing to grow steadily and logically.”
Investment in the Digital Economy
Investment in digital economy businesses has faced growth in Iran in recent years. However, Taj-Fard suggests that investment in the healthcare sector has not been as extensive as it should be. He explained, “In recent years, there have been investments in this sector. Nevertheless, unlike other countries, especially during the COVID-19 period, which poured substantial investments into this industry, unfortunately, the volume of investments made in Iran is not commensurate with the market potential and its needs. In fact, there are still many opportunities for investment in various segments of this industry. Of course, besides profitability and the size of this market, there may be other reasons for this situation.
Regulatory Challenges in the Digital Economy
Regulatory and technological aspects are two concepts that intersect in today’s world. Many digital economy businesses have expressed dissatisfaction with regulatory performance. One of the areas facing challenges in terms of regulation is the healthcare sector. On one hand, the Ministry of Health and, on the other hand, the Pharmaceutical Association have had significant doubts regarding the role of healthcare platforms. In recent months, the issue has also garnered attention from the e-commerce association, and it can be said that some progress has been made.
However, Taj-Fard believes that regulatory performance has been weak in the healthcare sector. He explained, “Regulation in this sector comes with its own challenges. Unfortunately, the main regulators responsible for regulation and oversight do not fulfill their duties properly in this area. For example, there is a legal gap concerning the activities of drug delivery platforms. The Council of Ministers has tasked the Ministry of Health with regulating the relevant regulations, but unfortunately, this task has been left unattended for years. Our expectation is for regulators to accompany technology, ultimately benefiting public health.”
Taj-Fard, however, generally evaluates the government’s approach to knowledge-based healthcare businesses positively and states: “Fortunately, in Iran, the governing body has had a favorable approach to knowledge-based businesses in the healthcare sector. As mentioned earlier, they have defined specific responsibilities for regulating this sector. However, there hasn’t been a strong will to address the issues and challenges so far. Despite the efforts of some institutions, such as the Ministry of Industry, Mines, and Trade, the necessary developments have not yet occurred to witness the acceleration of these businesses.
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