The Investment
- Sunshine Healthcare Lanka Limited (SHL), a subsidiary of Sunshine Holdings PLC (CSE: SUN), has acquired a 22% minority stake in Digital Health Private Limited (DHPL), the company behind Doc990.
- The move marks a significant step in Sunshine’s expansion across the healthcare value chain, extending its reach into the fast-evolving digital healthcare space.
About Doc990
- Operated by DHPL, a subsidiary of Dialog Axiata PLC.
- Connects patients, doctors, healthcare providers and corporates through mobile, web and call-based channels.
- One of Sri Lanka’s leading integrated digital healthcare platforms.
- Facilitates doctor appointments, digital consultations, payments and other healthcare services, making care more convenient to access.
Strategic Rationale
- Seen as a natural progression of Sunshine Healthcare’s growth strategy.
- Complements existing capabilities in pharmaceutical manufacturing, research and development, medical devices, pharmaceutical distribution and retail pharmacy.
- Strengthens Sunshine’s presence across multiple healthcare verticals.
- Establishes a more direct connection with patients.
A Partnership-Led Growth Story
- Pharmaceutical agency business built on longstanding relationships with international principals, some spanning over four decades.
- 2020: Sunshine combined its healthcare operations with Akbar Brothers, strengthening pharmaceutical manufacturing and creating a fully integrated healthcare business.
- 2024: Equity partnership with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), supporting investments in manufacturing, distribution infrastructure, medical devices and pharmacy retail.
- More recently: Partnership with India’s Zydus Lifesciences to establish a pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Horana, boosting local production capabilities.
Leadership Comments
- Shyam Sathasivam, Group CEO, Sunshine Holdings PLC:
- Sunshine Healthcare has been built through robust partnerships, from international principals to Akbar Brothers, IFC and Zydus.
- The Doc990 investment continues this approach, combining Dialog’s digital healthcare expertise with Sunshine’s established capabilities.
- The combination presents an opportunity to bring healthcare closer to patients and make accessing care simpler and more convenient.
- Supun Weerasinghe, Director/Group Chief Executive, Dialog Axiata PLC:
- Doc990 was built to transform how healthcare is accessed through technology.
- Sunshine’s investment creates new opportunities as Doc990 enters its next phase of growth.
- The partnership will expand the role of digital health across the patient journey and strengthen Doc990’s contribution to a more connected healthcare ecosystem in Sri Lanka.
The Bigger Picture
- The Doc990 investment adds a new dimension to Sunshine’s growth journey.
- Reinforces its long-term commitment to building a more accessible, connected and integrated healthcare ecosystem for Sri Lanka.
