The UAE will be the launch pad for probably the world’s first metaverse primary health venture for schools, with ShopDoc, an Indian healthcare startup set to announce soon its ‘My School Clinix’, a metaverse clinic for schools.
The project will be piloted across 100 schools in the UAE in the initial phase.
“My School Clinix will be the world’s first metaverse primary clinic exclusively for schools in the UAE,” Shihab Makaniyil, founder and chief executive officer of ShopDoc, told Arabian Business, ITP.net’s sister publication.
“The use of the metaverse in primary care can be revolutionary. The younger generation who are now in schools can adapt faster to the gamified healthcare platform where we will provide preventive-focused primary care, create more awareness, promote healthy and happy living,” Makaniyil said.
Significantly, the ShopDoc move on its metaverse primary clinic venture for schools in the UAE comes close on the heels of Dubai launching a metaverse strategy, where it aims to raise the sector’s contribution to the local economy to $4 billion.
The emirate’s Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who announced the new initiative on Twitter on Monday, said Dubai aimed to double the number of metaverse-related companies in the emirate in the next five years.
ShopDoc, originally set up in the Southern Indian state of Kerala but shifted its base to Dubai recently, is currently in the process of building the largest collaborative platform for smart primary clinics across the UAE.
Makaniyil said each of the 100 schools in the pilot phase will have smart primary care accessible through web, mobile and metaverse applications.
The venture will also educate kids on mental health and accelerate the rate of preventive health awareness amongst the younger generation.
“My School Clinix will offer its primary clinic to schools on an annual membership basis,” he said.
The enrolled students in ‘My School Clinix’ member schools will also enjoy 30 percent discounted access to virtual doctors in 67 specialties and virtual psychologists on a round-the-clock basis.
Makaniyil said their decision to launch their first metaverse venture for schools was based on the fact that since schools are known as the second home for children, they play a very powerful role in influencing their life-long health-related behaviours.
He said ShopDoc has roped in TCTx, a Dubai-based metaverse company, as its technical partner for implementing the ‘My School Clinix’ venture.
“Teachers and students will execute the projects in coordination with TCTx and the ShopDoc team. Multiple stakeholders in the digital healthcare ecosystem – both locally and globally – will also be involved with our projects,” he said.
The project will involve a series of healthcare virtual events, including workshops on nutrition and fitness, mental health and preventive healthcare.
