In a significant stride toward enhancing healthcare outcomes in Africa, Nigerian startup Primed E-Health is making waves through its innovative Smartclinic software. Founded in May 2021 by Dr. Are Abdulhafiz and Esther Anammah, the startup focuses on the digital transformation of healthcare facilities, both large and small, across the continent.
Dr. Abdulhafiz explains, “The Smartclinic addresses persistent challenges in healthcare related to the authenticity of patient data, paper-based record-keeping, cash transactions, and payment difficulties.” The platform, developed during a COVID-19 intervention hackathon supported by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), offers a simple and user-friendly hospital-based enterprise management system.
Primed E-Health’s Smartclinic not only increases operational efficiency in patient management but also tackles revenue leakage. The platform utilizes integrated smartcards with wallets, enabling patients to access healthcare services seamlessly without enduring long queues. Additionally, a dedicated mobile app empowers users to book appointments and make payments conveniently within the network of affiliated hospitals and doctors.
Since its inception, Primed E-Health has witnessed substantial growth, with over 45 hospitals currently enrolled in the platform. Dr. Abdulhafiz proudly notes, “We have successfully trained and onboarded over 10,000 doctors, impacting the lives of over two million patients.” The platform has become a catalyst for positive change in healthcare outcomes.
Abdulhafiz provides concrete examples of this impact: “We achieved full automation while reducing cash-based transactions, resulting in a significant increase in hospital revenue. Prominent hospitals, such as the Abubakar Tafawa-Balewa University Teaching Hospital, experienced a 65 per cent revenue increase within a seven-month period.”
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Moreover, Primed E-Health’s initiatives extend beyond revenue growth to address critical healthcare challenges. Over the past four years, the startup’s improved antenatal-labor management system has assisted more than 100,000 pregnant women, contributing to a reduction in maternal mortality from over 13.5 per cent to less than four per cent.
Dr. Abdulhafiz highlights the positive impact on child healthcare as well, stating, “More than 50,000 children under five years of age now access healthcare every year, resulting in less than 5.7 per cent child mortality compared to over 17 per cent previously recorded.”
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Despite the challenges faced by the startup, including gaining trust and market presence in the public sector, Primed E-Health has overcome these hurdles. Abdulhafiz explains, “We selected this aspect of the market to have access to larger numbers and onboard patients faster as trust was initially built through the hospitals. This strategy accelerated our scale and grew our monthly transactions.”
Bootstrapping until its first investment from The Baobab Network in 2022, Primed E-Health recently secured $18,000 in funding after participating in the ASIP accelerator program by Startupbootcamp AfriTech. The startup operates on both B2B and B2C models, charging healthcare providers a monthly subscription and patients a fee for the smart card.
Looking ahead, Dr. Abdulhafiz reveals, “Our revenue at year-end 2022 was $214,000, and we are doubling this number by the end of 2023.” With operations currently spanning seven regions in Nigeria, Primed E-Health has ambitious plans to expand into Francophone and East African markets in 2024 and 2025, solidifying its commitment to transforming healthcare across the continent.