Med.tn: Tunisia’s Digital Health Platform Expands with AI Tools and Gulf Ambitions

With over 5,000 registered doctors and more than 4 million appointments managed, the Tunisian digital health platform Med.tn is developing new tools integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) and preparing for expansion into Gulf countries. The company also targets Sub-Saharan Africa with a horizon of 2028–2030.

Simplifying Daily Healthcare Operations

Booking a doctor’s appointment, managing consultations, retrieving medical records, or reminding patients of their next visit—these tasks are part of the daily routine for healthcare professionals but can often be complex to organize. Since 2019, Med.tn has aimed to simplify these processes by connecting patients and practitioners on a single platform.

“Our goal is to support the patient from the initial search for a doctor through to post-consultation follow-up,” explains Emna Jellouli, co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) of the startup.

The platform allows users to search for a practitioner by specialty or city and book a consultation online at any time. SMS confirmations are sent to verify the appointment, and reminders are provided regarding the consultation date. This system is specifically designed to reduce no-shows, which often disrupt doctors’ schedules.

However, Med.tn goes beyond simple appointment booking. The company also offers MedLink, a management software designed for medical practices and multi-practitioner centers. This tool centralizes medical records, prescriptions, and lab results. It is adaptable to both solo practitioners and larger structures that need to manage multiple schedules and specialties.

According to figures provided by Emna Jellouli, the platform has reached 30 million patients across North Africa and attracts approximately two million patients per month. With over 5,000 registered doctors and more than four million appointments managed to date, the company is leveraging this strong foundation to continue its development and evolve its solutions.

AI for Better Consultation Management

The next major step involves MedLink 2.0, a new version of the software that integrates AI-powered features. The objective is to help professionals better organize their activities and reduce administrative burdens.

Planned features include:

• Waiting room management: Facilitating the handling of patients arriving with or without appointments.
• Patient tracking: Enhancing the follow-up of patient journeys.
• Post-consultation automation: Automating reminders and scheduling for future visits.

Recognizing that needs vary from one doctor to another, Med.tn offers flexibility.

“Some doctors want to manage everything, while others only need the patient profile without touching the accounting module,” specifies Emna Jellouli.

Consequently, practitioners can select the features that best suit their working style. Trust is also built on the secure management of medical data. By developing its technology in-house, Med.tn can adapt its tools to professional requests. The company also separates the electronic medical record (EMR) from the practice’s financial management, allowing doctors to digitize patient care without integrating their accounting into the software.

Another key aspect of Med.tn’s offering is the quality of health information. In response to the proliferation of medical content on the internet, Med.tn promotes an editorial line based on articles, videos, and answers written by verified doctors. According to company data, its catalog includes 4,000 articles and videos, as well as 150,000 answers to medical questions, which have been viewed 24 million times.

From the Maghreb to the Gulf Markets

Med.tn’s growth has been gradual across the three Maghreb markets where it operates:

• Morocco: Digitalization of practices began as early as 2014 in an environment marked by competition from local and foreign solutions. Med.tn currently counts 2,000 registered doctors and 700 paying subscribers in the country.
• Tunisia: In its home market, the shift to digital accelerated during the Covid-19 pandemic. Doctors, who had long been attached to manual methods, gradually adopted shared schedules and online booking.
• Algeria: Following a similar trajectory, the platform had 150 paying subscribers as of August 2024.

Following this regional establishment, Med.tn aims to take a new step on the international stage. Its selection in the TASMU program, led by the Qatari Ministry of Technology, will help the company better understand the local market, test the fit of its solutions with user needs, and prepare for on-the-ground prospecting.

The Gulf region presents specific characteristics that align well with MedLink’s features. In this area, many medical centers group multiple salaried doctors under a single management structure. Therefore, managing multiple schedules and services addresses a concrete need for these entities.

“We were selected for the TASMU program to work on the market and prepare our prospecting efforts on the ground,” explains Emna Jellouli.

The company has already conducted prospecting in Saudi Arabia and intends to leverage this experience to develop its activities across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.

Long-Term Vision: Sub-Saharan Africa

In the long term, Med.tn also targets Sub-Saharan Africa. The company plans to extend its model to the region by 2028–2030, relying on its three complementary activities:

1. Medical information.
2. Patient-practitioner connection.
3. Management software for healthcare professionals.

The challenge ahead will be replicating this model in markets with different practices and needs. For Med.tn, growth will depend not only on its technological tools but also on its ability to adapt them to the realities of doctors and healthcare structures in each country.