BIMA, the leading provider of mobile based insurance and health products scooped the award ‘Best Mobile Innovation for Health & Biotech’ at the prestigious GSMA Global Mobile Awards (GLOMO Awards).

The awards recognise and celebrate the very best innovations that help evolve and develop the mobile industry.

BIMA’s Mobile Health service, also called BIMA Doctor, was launched by the insurance company in 2015 in Ghana to address the scarcity of traditional healthcare resources in most emerging countries.

The mobile service offers subscribers and their families unlimited access to medical consultations and health programmes over their phones, paid for via mobile money. Since its inception in Ghana, the BIMA Doctor service has been launched in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Paraguay and Cambodia and has reached over 2.2 million customers.

Christina Tuemmers, mhealth and Customer Experience Manager of BIMA Ghana, said: “For BIMA to be recognized as a leader in the mobile healthcare industry is incredibly motivating for us. At BIMA we’re focused on providing the best possible health service to people who need it most.

In emerging markets, it is common to have to travel long distances and sacrifice long hours waiting in a clinic before seeing a doctor. For those who work in the informal sector, the hours lost negatively impacts their income. These factors often prevent people from seeking medical help when they need it.”

Dr. David Sunu, Chief Medical Officer of BIMA Ghana added: “Beyond providing preventive care and unlimited consultations through chat or calls, we have gone the extra mile by partnering with a network of laboratories and hospitals where customers are referred to when necessary and where they can enjoy discounts. In November 2018, we launched the BIMA Doctor App where digital customers can access and manage their medical records, locate the nearest health facility and talk to the BIMA Doctor medical team by phone or chat.”

BIMA?will soon release a comprehensive health insurance product in Ghana which will affordably bundle its tele-doctor services with hospital and maternity insurance, thereby offering greater value to customers and giving them all-round?protection against both financial and health risks.?

The GLOMOs are judged by independent experts, analysts, journalists, academics, and, in some cases, mobile operator representatives.

About BIMA

BIMA uses mobile technology to deliver affordable insurance and health products to underserved consumers in emerging markets and families who cannot access these vital products through traditional channels.

BIMA’s technology platforms create a paperless experience and enable scale, while the agent force distributes products and provides customer education. This tech-enabled approach is the key to BIMA’s growth, reaching 26 million subscribers in 15 markets across Africa, Asia and Latin America.

BIMA Ghana launched its operations in 2010 with the mobile operator Tigo (now AirtelTigo). Through this partnership, BIMA provides over 2 million Ghanaians with insurance. In 2014, BIMA also launched its own-branded insurance products to widen access to all Ghanaian families.

BIMA offers life, hospital and accident insurance policies underwritten by Prudential Life and Allianz Life, and the BIMA Doctor service, providing medical advice over the phone.