And thanks to the high Internet penetration levels in the region – which has over 45 percent of all Internet users worldwide – there is a huge opportunity to leverage this digital access in the health care space.

“At Philips, we are also working hard to develop mobile technologies to increase access to health care in remote areas, which will be key to improving the overall health of APAC in the future,” said Clarke, citing the company's partnership with Bunda Medical Center in Padang, West Sumatra, a leading maternity center.


“We developed a pilot program using an app that enables midwives to build a relevant health profile of pregnant women by collecting data from physical examinations and tests and local nursing clinics, or even at the soon to-be mother’s home.” she said. This permits them to upload information to a central OB server for obstetricians and gynecologists to use to remotely monitor pregnancies for those mothers in more remote regions.

This is an example of the future direction for Philips and health care in general. “We expect medical innovations to focus on empowering people to be more active in their own health, and to use medical resources in a more efficient and effective way,” she said.

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