The Covid-19 Hero Award goes to Bilal Amjad, the founder of InstaCare, for providing a free online health consultation platform in Pakistan during the pandemic.
People in third-world countries face a difficulty in obtaining immediate and high-quality health care. Frequently, there is a need for urgent medical advice, but the service is unavailable.
Bilal Amjad saw this as a common issue faced by millions of Pakistanis and devised a plan to make healthcare more available to the general public.
In 2018, this young entrepreneur unveiled InstaCare, an online healthcare consultation platform with the goal of revolutionizing how locals obtain medical assistance. With InstaCare, you won’t have to waste time looking for appointments with reputable physicians for minor medical problems. Bilal’s creative strategy has benefited not only the general public, but also healthcare service providers by transforming conventional programmes into technologically advanced practices.
Bilal’s programmes have earned national and international recognition. He’s an IT expert who’s well-known for his work in bridging the gap between industries and technology. Since 2016, Bilal has won Microsoft’s Most Prestigious Technical Award in recognition of his achievements. In 2020, he was also named Healthcare Entrepreneur of the Year. In addition, his team has won a slew of other national and foreign awards through a variety of platforms.
Bilal was recently awarded the Commonwealth Youth Covid-19 Heroes Award for his exceptional efforts during the pandemic’s outbreak in Pakistan. While the country was under strict lockdown to prevent the virus from spreading, Insta Care assisted hundreds of Pakistanis in receiving medical care from the comfort of their own homes. This helped to alleviate public anxiety and confusion about health-related issues.
InstaCare launched a Corona Response Unit (ICRU) with the assistance of USAID, with the aim of offering free online medical consultation to the general public. “Mobility in the country has become increasingly difficult for Pakistanis in need of health care services,” says USAID Mission Director Julie Koenen. Pakistani people will communicate with a healthcare provider through this private sector collaboration to discuss problems they or their families are facing.”
During the lockdown, the response team consisted of 12 InstaCare volunteers who ensured that health care facilities were available to the general public. Because of the overwhelming response, ICRU had to put on more medical professionals and students who were able to volunteer to provide online medical consultations.
InstaCare collaborated with a number of private institutions, including hospitals and universities, to bring telemedicine to the general public. ICRU’s network currently has about 300 healthcare professionals offering consultation to individuals under his leadership.
“Because of all the negativity on social media, I suspected I had coronavirus and was mentally disturbed. That’s when InstaCare came to my rescue. Mr. Asad explains his experience with InstaCare as follows: “I booked an online consultation and the InstaCare team was very sensitive and prompt to respond to all my queries.”
Bilal’s unique approach and dedication to support his fellow Pakistanis through a first-of-its-kind forum in Pakistan deservedly earned him worldwide acclaim. His efforts to serve the community are well-recognized and a true inspiration for the youth that together we can stand in the face of any challenge when we have the will to come forward and give back to the country in any way possible.
