2024-02-11 02:01:01
The “Sukony” platform provides mental health services according to the highest standards of privacy and security in the UAE
Donia Hassanein
• 11 February, 2024
English
Mental illness and its treatment have always been socially restricted in Middle Eastern culture, so with the advent of telehealth solutions and the increasing prevalence of online healthcare delivery models, demand for mental health services has skyrocketed from consumers and businesses. As customers continue to rely on third-party platforms, a group of startups have emerged in the MENA region seeking to capitalize on the growing need for secure, technology-enabled healthcare solutions.
Sukony stands out as one of these startups creating a mental health platform. This social platform, which was founded by Ali Awainati earlier in 2023, seeks to address social challenges associated with mental health and promote access to appropriate resources.
In the early stages of establishing his startup, Awainati was inspired by the experiences of his friends who had great difficulty obtaining assistance while they were in the United Arab Emirates during the Covid-19 crisis. They were forced to rely on therapists from outside the country, which drew Awainati’s attention to the lack of health care services in this socially sensitive field.
In this context, Awainati says: “Behaviors began to change following the end of the Covid-19 crisis, as we noticed increased awareness regarding mental health challenges, and a number of my friends contacted therapists in Europe and North America, motivated by their need to speak with a specialist. One of my friends confirmed to me that there is a need for this.” Services and a cultural gap that must be reduced.”
Awinati believes that limited cultural awareness of mental health is due to a lack of resources and a lack of sufficient focus on it within the broader health system. The “Sukuni” platform, like other mental health platforms, seeks to address the shortage of qualified specialists and doctors in the country.
Awainati highlighted this severe lack of therapeutic services, and confirmed that there are no more than 0.75 mental health specialists for every 100,000 people in the UAE, while there are 31 specialists for every 100,000 people in the United States, for example.
Awinati said: “There are clear paradoxes, as the market research we conducted, based on scientific foundations, confirmed that many of the people interviewed suffer from at least one mental health disorder.” He pointed out that social challenges and lack of awareness constituted the most prominent obstacles to obtaining mental health care.
He added: “Many married women today suffer from postpartum depression, and symptoms of anxiety and depression appear in 55% of university students.”
Relying on its social platform, “Sukony” primarily seeks to improve the user experience by enhancing the treatment experience based on specialists using data analytics and machine learning to improve therapeutic outcomes, and keep pace with the unique challenges and differences related to the target group in the UAE and the entire Middle East and North Africa region. .
Sukony attracts therapists by offering them competitive compensation, scheduling tools, flexible hours, and access to its technology tools.
The company intends to launch the “Sukony” platform in the first quarter of 2024, but today it faces a challenge in dealing with the regulatory and compliance framework in the UAE.
Awainati said: “Unlike training and other more comprehensive methods, clinical consultation represents a scientific approach that is subject to strict oversight by the health authorities in the UAE. This drives us to ensure that the ‘Sukoni’ platform adheres to the highest standards of privacy and security in the UAE, and the Health Insurance Portability and Portability Act.” “HIPAA in North America and even GDPR in Europe. We strive to earn the trust of processors and end users.”
The company is working to improve the platform’s capabilities and offerings by searching for financing opportunities, and its main challenge remains in presenting a sustainable and scalable business model to investors and aligning it with healthcare regulations.
The market provides growth opportunities for the “Sukuni” platform and its potential competitors, especially with the increasing demand for mental health services appropriate to the region’s culture.
Awainati concluded: “The market provides favorable conditions and is witnessing increasing demand with limited resources, so I believe that it provides many opportunities for all potential service providers.”
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