From Software Developer to Healthcare Problem Solver

Fatah Iskandar Akbar did not begin his journey in healthcare. His early career was rooted in technology, working as a software developer and running a software house that delivered custom solutions for a range of clients. Among those clients were hospitals in Jakarta, which required him to spend significant time onsite understanding their systems and workflows.

It was during these visits that he encountered a recurring problem. Hospitals were struggling with operational inefficiencies, while patients faced long queues, delayed appointments, and limited access to timely information. These firsthand observations would later become the foundation for what would evolve into DokterSiaga.

Identifying a Real-World Problem

The idea for DokterSiaga emerged from a simple but powerful question. Why should patients have to physically queue for something as basic as booking a doctor’s appointment?

In 2007, long before digital health became mainstream, Fatah introduced an online booking system at Dharmais Cancer Hospital. At the time, the concept was ahead of its market. Even the team questioned whether patients were ready to adopt such a solution.

Despite the uncertainty, the system marked the beginning of a larger vision. The goal was not just to digitize appointments, but to fundamentally improve how people access healthcare services.

Building a Digital Health Platform

Today, DokterSiaga has evolved into a comprehensive digital health platform that aggregates doctor schedules across hospitals in Indonesia. The platform provides access to more than 5,724 doctors across 100 hospitals, with information that is regularly updated to ensure accuracy.

Its core services are built around three key areas. The platform enables users to view doctor schedules, book appointments, and access medicine delivery services. To date, DokterSiaga has facilitated over 6,629 doctor appointments and supported the delivery of 27,770 medicine orders for more than 8,300 patients.

By centralizing this information, DokterSiaga reduces friction in the healthcare journey and allows patients to make informed decisions without unnecessary delays.

Innovating Ahead of Its Time

Fatah’s approach to innovation has consistently been ahead of the curve. In 2018, the company developed an NLP-based chatbot to help users quickly access information about doctor schedules and appointments. This was years before conversational AI tools became widely adopted.

The platform’s impact became particularly evident during the COVID-19 pandemic. At its peak in 2020, DokterSiaga was serving around 20,000 users per month. During a time when access to healthcare information was critical, the platform played a role in helping patients navigate an already strained system.

For Fatah, this period reinforced the purpose behind the business. It was not just about building technology, but about creating something that could serve people in moments that mattered most.

Navigating Challenges and Growth Constraints

Like many growing startups, DokterSiaga has faced its share of challenges. One of the most significant has been scaling the business beyond its current limitations.

Fatah describes this phase as a moment of recalibration. Constraints have forced the team to rethink strategy, adapt, and rebuild with a stronger foundation. Rather than viewing setbacks as failures, the company has treated them as opportunities to refine its approach and prepare for the next stage of growth.

A Strategy Built on Product and Partnerships

Looking ahead, DokterSiaga’s growth strategy is focused on three priorities. The first is building a product that users genuinely value and rely on. The second is expanding through partnerships with hospitals and healthcare providers, ensuring broader coverage and deeper integration. The third is maintaining continuous communication with users to strengthen engagement and trust.

This approach reflects a balance between product development, ecosystem building, and user-centric design.

Leadership Rooted in Simplicity and Action

Fatah’s leadership philosophy is guided by simplicity and execution. Two principles define how he operates. The first is responsiveness, ensuring that customers are not left waiting. The second is momentum, maintaining consistent progress regardless of challenges.

These values shape the company culture and reinforce a bias toward action, which is critical in a sector where delays can have real-world consequences.

Advice for the Next Generation

For aspiring entrepreneurs, Fatah’s advice is grounded in practicality. Start with what you have and build from there. Progress does not require perfect conditions, but it does require consistency.

He compares entrepreneurship to natural growth. Just as the human body develops through repeated processes over time, businesses grow through consistent effort applied daily. The emphasis is not on speed, but on persistence.

Building the Future of Healthcare Access

Fatah envisions DokterSiaga becoming the central hub for doctor schedule information in Indonesia. His goal is to create a system where data is updated directly by doctors, ensuring real-time accuracy.

He compares this vision to an airport information system. Just as passengers rely on live updates for flights, patients should be able to rely on real-time information for healthcare services.

If realized, this vision would represent a significant step forward in making healthcare more accessible, efficient, and transparent.

For DokterSiaga, the mission is clear. Simplify access, reduce waiting, and make healthcare information available when it is needed most.

Mohammed Abubakr

Mohammed Abubakr is the Founder & Editor of StartupMuslim.com. Through StartupMuslim, he documents the journeys of Muslim founders across industries, focusing on the challenges they overcome, the vision that drives them, and the impact they create.His work centers on building a narrative layer for the global Muslim startup ecosystem—one that not only highlights success, but also captures the process, discipline, and values behind it. By conducting in-depth interviews and publishing founder stories, he aims to inspire and enable the next generation of Muslim entrepreneurs to think bigger and build with purpose.