Nestlé reports that a concerning four out of ten Malaysian adults have high cholesterol levels, with nearly half of them being under the age of 40. What’s even more alarming is that only a quarter of these individuals are aware of their high cholesterol levels. This poses a significant health risk, as high cholesterol is a major contributor to heart disease.

This year, Nestlé Omega Plus has teamed up with BookDoc to launch the 30-Day Challenge as part of Nestlé’s efforts to promote heart health awareness in Malaysia. The challenge encourages Malaysians to adopt healthier lifestyles, focusing on a balanced diet and regular exercise. Nestlé Omega Plus contains ActiCol plant sterols that scientifically proven to lower cholesterol and aims to reduce the risk of heart disease with two servings a day. Kenny Wong, Business Executive Officer at Nestlé Malaysia, hopes that the 30-Day Challenge will motivate more Malaysians to prioritise their heart health.

For the fifth consecutive year, BookDoc and the Social Security Organisation (PERKESO) have partnered to organize the Activ@Work Challenge 2023. The challenge aims to encourage employers to promote physical activity among their employees and encourage healthy lifestyle changes, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on public health. This collaboration represents a Public-Private Partnership, working towards creating a healthier workforce in Malaysia by providing easy access to health and wellness services for employees.

BookDoc’s Director, Mr. Reuben Poh, expressed the company’s commitment to promoting a healthy and active lifestyle, hoping to help employers prioritize their employees’ well-being as the nation transitions to the post-pandemic era. They aim to empower employees to make informed decisions about their health and well-being through their digital solutions.

PERKESO’s Group Chief Executive Officer, Dato’ Sri Dr. Mohammed Azman Aziz Mohammed, emphasized the importance of prevention and promotion in addition to protection, especially in the face of the rising Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) among employees in Malaysia. The Activ@Work program offers participants a chance to engage in virtual run challenges and access various healthcare providers and wellness services to foster a healthier and more productive workforce. The program includes prizes of up to RM30,000 to incentivize employees to prioritize their health and well-being.

The Activ@Work Challenge leverages BookDoc’s digital platform, offering gamification and virtual challenges to help employees stay active. The program rewards participants and motivates them to improve their health through virtual leaderboards, progress tracking, and various benefits.

The challenge starts from 1st of July 2023 and run for 3 months until 30 September 2023. All participating employers, groups and individuals are competing for a prize pool worth RM30,000 in total. This includes trophies, certificates, health & fitness equipment, media coverage, success story sharing by PERKESO, and many more. Past participants and winners include companies such as Petronas, TNB, IMU, Alliance Bank, PIDM, AKPK, Great Eastern, Top Glove, and Paramount Property.

Beh (centre) poses for a group photo after signing partnership agreements with major healthcare products and services retailers and providers.

KUALA LUMPUR: Digital health technology solution provider BookDoc aims to invest RM4 million in 2023 for its technological development following the rise in consumers’ demand for healthcare.

BookDoc founder and chief executive officer Datuk Chevy Beh said the company, which was established in 2015, has allocated RM1 million yearly for its mobile application and planned to rope in more reward partners by end of this year.

“We’re looking to rope in about 20 reward partners by year-end on top of the existing 150 partners with more than 6,000 touchpoints, both online and offline,” he told Bernama.

Beh was speaking on the sidelines of the launch of BookDoc Activ as well as the announcement of partnerships with leading health and wellness retail chain store, Ogawa; organic foods and natural supplements retail chain, Natural Health Farm (NHF); beauty care company, bluunis; and shoes manufacturer and retailer, MyFeet.

He said the BookDoc Activ feature rewards users based on their average daily steps, which are tiered at bronze, silver, gold and platinum.

“BookDoc Activ allows users to sync with other health applications such as Apple Health, Samsung Health, Google Fit, Fitbit, and Garmin to keep track of their daily exercise and get rewarded accordingly.

“By maintaining a high level of activity, users get discounts or freebies from major retailers and service providers,” he said.

BookDoc has more than one million users and downloads at its integrated online ecosystem comprising seven platforms – Search & Book, Activ, Tele-Consult, Marketplace, Events & News, Health Coaching and Covid-19 Feature.

It made it to the Malaysia Book of Records for being the largest healthcare network provider in Malaysia with over 40,000 verified doctors and healthcare professionals including pharmacists, physiotherapists, dentists and audiologists.

BookDoc is also a multi-award-winning company garnering awards from CNBC as one of the World’s Top 100 Startup Companies; ASEAN Summit (Business Awards 2019 and 2020) as the most innovative startup in the region and also by Frost & Sullivan (2015-2020) as one of the most innovative healthcare technology startups in the region.

BookDoc is available online at www.bookdoc.com, via the App Store, Google Play Store, and Huawei App Gallery. — Bernama