As Israel’s largest private healthcare provider, Natali became a subsidiary of China’s Sanpower Group in 2014. They have effectively implemented their eHealth/TeleHealth technologies in the Chinese market within just three years. Since expanding its services to China, Natali has amassed 120,000 Israeli subscribers and over four million in China.

Advanced eHealth technologies

Natali has been promoting its large variety of innovative devices and products in China, namely eHealth/Telehealth technologies such as Predictive eMonitoring and eHealth apps, keeping a significant number of Chinese patients from unnecessary hospitalisation.

The newly launched SmartCare solution in China has adopted smart censors technology to record normal daily life behaviour of the elderly. Whenever there is an abnormal signal, Natali’s Call Centre, where doctors and physicians are ready to support, will be notified and get medical insights right at hand.

Altman believes eHealth/Telehealth technologies are breaking the limits of distance and infrastructure for doctors and patients, largely by relieving the imbalanced allocation of healthcare resources in China.  This saves patients’ time and money by allowing them do health checks and receive treatments whenever they want.

Great potential in China’s market

However, China’s market is a big one with complications. There is a massive ageing population facing compromised healthcare service that has depended much on the public healthcare sector, particularly public hospitals.  Alongside this, there is the struggling survival of Chinese traditional medicine, lack of workforce in public hospitals and an overall increase of life expectancy, according to the research done by Natali and Sanpower.

The Chinese government is also looking into innovative plans for the private healthcare provision. In March 2016, Chinese Vice Premier Madame Liu Yandong and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu witnessed Natali’s undertaking of China’s first B2C telemedicine project. Large private healthcare service companies like Natali can provide sustained systematic community healthcare as well as private home care, alleviating pressure on the public sector by giving complementary support.

Altman believes that the eHealth concept is set to grow exponentially in China’s private healthcare industry.

The popularisation of Internet technologies is equipping China’s market with great potential, which will allow Natali to develop. The internet technologies market in China is not only about over 700 million smartphone users, but also the increasing amount of internet users who are witnessing the Internet-plus age.

Business model with Sanpower

“But there is a better combination of leading technologies and business models to think about. We need to make adjustments because of the differences between the two markets,” added by Altman “That is why working with Sanpower’s local strategists is a crucial factor for Natali to succeed in China.”

Sanpower is not only helping to break culture and language barriers, but also providing business insights into governmental cooperation, insurance companies, market position, product promotion, and payment means. An intelligence team comprised of professionals from Natali and local experts from Sanpower have been constantly giving design support regarding the popularisation of Natali’s day-to-day digital healthcare to every elderly people’s home.

Natali has become the first foreign investment by Sanpower but it is just one of the family members of Sanpower’s full range of health services and private hospitals, including An Kang Tong, A.H. Nursing, More Health and Yi Le Ju. Service companies and private hospitals work together to provide customised health support to each family, and work on the cutting-edge health technologies.

Fitting into the whole healthcare picture of Sanpower, currently the first stage of Natali lies in premium elderly care and chronicle disease management. Natali is able to provide holistic healthcare services including Emergency Medical Services and a division of healthcare services for schoolchildren.

“Without Sanpower’s necessary political, economic and logistic on-ground support, it is almost impossible for Natali to bring advanced medical concepts and existing successful solutions to Chinese elderly patients,” says Altman.