‘Move part of broader mission to professionalise, elevate industry’
PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s first on-demand childcare service, Kiddocare, has teamed up with digital health provider HeyDoc Health to provide affordable and accessible healthcare coverage for its community of gig carers to address a long-standing gap in social protection for informal care workers.
In an exclusive interview with theSun, Kiddocare founder and CEO Nadira Yusoff said the collaboration with HeyDoc Health was formalised during the Selangor International Care Summit 2025 last month.
She said the move is part of the company’s broader mission to professionalise the care industry and bring dignity, stability and long-term value to care workers, while also elevating care work from a gig-based job to a respected and sustainable profession.
“Care workers are often underpaid, undervalued and work in stressful conditions.
Professionalising care work is not only about upskilling or improving job delivery, but also about creating a dignified working environment that includes social protection.
Healthcare is an important part of that.”
Also present during the interview was HeyDoc Health CEO Dr Raymond Choy.
She added that under the new partnership, active Kiddocare carers would receive healthcare benefits, including access to online doctor consultations, medical certificates and essential medicines, covered by Kiddocare as part of its incentive scheme for active caregivers.
“We are providing this incentive for our active carers.
If they are committed and active in their work, Kiddocare will cover the cost of this healthcare benefit.
It’s our way of valuing and protecting those who care for others.”
She said via the HeyDoc’s telehealth platform, carers would be able to consult doctors virtually, making it easier for them to access healthcare without disrupting their work schedules, adding that they could also obtain medical certificates digitally, preventing conflict with clients when they are unwell and unable to work.
“Sometimes our carers fall sick and struggle to prove it to families they work with.
This system gives them quick access to doctors and documentation, so they could rest and recover without being unfairly judged.
It’s a real solution to a real problem they face.”
She said the partnership also covers basic medicines for common illnesses such as fever, cough and flu, ailments that carers are particularly exposed to due to their constant interaction with children and families, adding that this would help reduce out-of-pocket medical costs that often burden gig workers.
Nadira believes this initiative could serve as a stepping stone towards broader social protection for Malaysia’s gig workforce.
“This is just the first step.
Once carers start seeing the value of healthcare coverage, we could expand this to include health check-ups, vaccinations and even paid leave or unemployment benefits.
We want to ensure that our carers not only care for others but are also cared for.”
Addressing common criticism that many gig platforms exploit their workers, Nadira said Kiddocare’s approach is rooted in empathy and responsibility.
“We’re a care company first and foremost.
That means we must care for the people who deliver care.
Even though they are not our employees in the traditional sense, they represent Kiddocare and in return, we must value and protect them.”
She added that Kiddocare’s philosophy is built on mutual respect between the platform and its carers.
“There must be a symbiotic relationship.
The platform benefits from their work, and they must benefit from the platform’s support.
Safety, security and dignity are things we constantly work towards.”
She also called on other gig platforms to rethink their approach to worker welfare, adding that humanising gig work should be the next evolution for the industry.
“Platforms grow because of their workers.
So we must start looking at different ways to provide benefits and protection.
When we care for our people, the quality of service naturally improves.
That’s the kind of ecosystem we want to build.”
Nadira said with this partnership, Kiddocare hopes to set a new benchmark for how gig platforms could integrate social protection into their business models by putting care at the heart of the gig economy.
