A team of Nigerian technicians, entrepreneurs, medical doctors and pharmacists have launched Myclinic.ng, a healthcare solution that enables families and individuals to access high-quality healthcare from anywhere, anytime, in cost-effective and convenient manners through mobile phones.
According to a co-founder of Myclinic.ng, Abubakar Hassan, the technology is built on the conviction that access to healthcare should not be stressful or ridiculously expensive.
He said: “Anyone having any kind of health issue or a sick patient will be able to consult a medical doctor through a phone application, the online platform we developed.”
Hassan told the Economic Confidential said that the online consultation platform allows patients from anywhere and anytime to talk to doctors online or through its toll-free line.
According to him, the consultation platform’s vision is to give Africans access to online medical consultations, regardless of their location.
Hassan said: “Before the launch, we have been walking on this since 2018.
“We finished building the application around mid-2019 and since then, tests have been going on.
“We took to so many parts of Nigeria for people to have a direct feel of the software.
“We have over 1,000 consultations so far.”
While disclosing that the number of their subscribers is growing steadily, the Myclinic.ng Founder said: “We have about 3,400 subscribers.
“And before the launching, we came up with a new system.
“A toll-free consultation line that allows bulk of Nigerians who do not have access to the internet to still have access to our platforms.
“Patients can just put a call through so long as they have GSM network signals on their mobile phones.
“They can dial our toll-free lines and our customer representative will connect them with a doctor.
“This means that a woman selling grains in Aba market or a farmer from a remote village in Kano State can just pick her or his phone from their farm or village and speak to our doctors in their native language.”
Hassan said though their clients have been calling from all parts of the country, majority of them call in from Lagos and Kano States and Abuja.
He added: “Our marketing strategy is quite unique.
“At the moment, we are trying to reach out to Nigerians directly by using social media and other general marketing platforms.
“We are partnering with the largest provider of primary health care, that is the community pharmacies.
“We have arranged with them to serve as boarding centres and prescription pick-up point.”
Hassan, while noting that the National Information Technology Development Agency has been part of their journey, said: “Since we participated in a competition they organized, NITDA has been supportive.
“They have been monitoring our progress and successes.
“Presently, we are running an accelerator programme under the supervision of NITDA.
“We have had a great deal of mentorship from NITDA.”
The Federal Government of Nigeria is establishing technology hubs through its digital economy agenda to fostering tech innovation among teams of intelligent, creative, passionate, tech-savvy young Nigerians.