Chinese technology giant Tencent and Alibaba have announced the acceleration of their efforts to develop and improve healthcare technology in China. The said efforts would be under their cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI) industries. The companies, along with other Chinese firms, were reported to provide cloud computing-based analysis of medical images that would be offered during doctor consultations in the country.
According to CNBC, Alibaba, a Chinese company running the biggest e-commerce platforms in China, has decided to further its cloud computing business. The business plan was revealed to introduce innovative healthcare features.
Last February, the company launched a drug delivery service for those who purchase medicines for treating chronic ailments. The said service was a response by Alibaba to the challenges that hospitals in China faced increasing amounts of cases that left them with insufficient resources to treat patients.
In January, Alibaba already launched an online clinical service through its Taobao and Alipay mobile applications in Hubei province, China. The service was said to be developed further allowing people in China to opt for online medical consultations with doctors and other health experts. The said plan would extend not only in Hubei province but also plans to expand to Beijing.
China's largest search engine company Baidu has also announced to further develop its AI capabilities by enhancing healthcare tech systems as well. The company currently runs an online doctor consultation platform in China. The said service was reported to be free for those who seek online medical consultations.
The company claimed that it has handled 15 million patients and has the support of 100,000 doctors in its platform. It was then announced that it would generate an algorithm called LinerFold that would be offered for free to gene testing agencies. Other services that Baidu would offer in its platforms include epidemic control centers and research institutions. The said developments would also be offered internationally if fully developed.
According to the general manager of Baidu's healthcare business Yang Minglu, there has been a growing demand for online medical services and information in China. He claimed that this has been recognized by the company for further revenue growth potential in the country.
Similarly, China's Tencent-backed message platform WeChat has also followed suit. The company recently launched a free online health consultation services through its online healthcare platforms in WeChat.
The company also announced that it would generate a 'chatbot' that would allow its users to consult with healthcare professionals and acquire basic health diagnosis for several conditions. The chatbot was referred to as an automated messaging service.
