KT forays into health care in Vietnam

South Korean telecommunications giant KT announced Sunday that it will push forward a non-face-to-face health care project in Vietnam involving health examination centers and artificial intelligence in medical fields.

The company plans to conduct a pilot service for cancer and chronic disease patients using a remote care platform with KT Healthcare Vina, a Vietnamese medical corporation established earlier this year.

Post-discharge management of gastric cancer surgery patients and health care management of chronic diseases will be provided for 12 weeks until August, in cooperation with a local Vietnamese hospital. KT plans to verify the service's effectiveness by analyzing the patients' recovery phases.

KT's non-face-to-face health care service provides self-health care management based on mobile applications, personal health counseling from care coordinators and customized services for each symptom.

The goal of the service is to encourage self-management so that patients with a high risk of major diseases can use the app to prevent further symptoms in advance and go through better treatment.

KT’s Care Coordinator service will be provided for 100 patients who have undergone gastric cancer surgery to manage surgical aftereffects and side effects of anticancer drugs via mobile with the Vietnam National Cancer Hospital.

Alongside Hanoi Medical University Hospital, KT will also provide a pilot service for remote care of chronic diseases for 240 diabetic patients.

In particular, the diabetes management service utilizes AI screening technology that sorts out high-risk diabetes patients with a simple questionnaire.

As Vietnam pursues a relatively open policy on digital health care, KT plans to build a Korean-style premium medical examination center as well.

With its service kicking off in Vietnam, KT aims to expand its health care business at home and abroad based on its digital transformation capabilities.

"KT is trying to enter the field of customized medical health care services," said KT's Digital & Bio Health Business Group Head Lim Seung-hyuk.

"KT will be a partner to help the domestic and foreign health care industry's digital experience, starting with Vietnam," Lim added.