It is by default that every human being requires healthcare services at some point in their lives. However, many people cannot access quality healthcare services due to affordability, accessibility, and availability issues. As such, quality healthcare continues to be a preserve of the few, yet it is a need for everyone.
Nonetheless, multifaceted efforts are being undertaken to change this and make healthcare services affordable, accessible, reliable, and equitable for everyone, especially the people at the bottom of the pyramid. And, this is where My Doctor comes in.
My Doctor is a digital healthcare services platform that is transforming the traditional healthcare system like never before. Attached to a physical health centre in Nansana Municipality, Wakiso District, My Doctor is using telemedicine to provide equitable healthcare services by ensuring that people, especially those with emergencies easily reach out to professional medical services providers either through a phone call or social media, text, audio, and video.
Dr. David Mwesigwa, the Medical in-charge of My Doctor Digital Health Care Services, noted that, although a new concept, Telemedicine is changing the way healthcare services are provided and perceived as it is timely and convenient.
“The traditional health system is not failing. It continues to work. However, we are in a technology era and as healthcare service providers, we can’t be left behind. We must move with technology and move where the world is going. We need to continuously innovate around how best we can serve our customers. We need to close the gaps that haven’t been closed by the traditional healthcare system. We are implementing telemedicine to serve customers who may not be able to visit us physically,” Dr Mwesigwa said, adding:
“From the community we are operating in, telemedicine has been warmly welcomed. We are having more clients embracing telemedicine, even those who preferred the traditional healthcare system are now switching to telemedicine because it is convenient, time-saving, and cheaper compared to physical healthcare visits, more so for mild ailments that can be diagnosed remotely.
For example, some tests like HIV can be done from the comfort of someone’s home. So, when they call, we send laboratory personnel with the necessary equipment, the test is done and results are given immediately. For those, we can’t complete from a home set-up, we collect samples, take them to the laboratory, and share the results later on. For okay results, we can send them digitally but for concerning, worrying, and disturbing results, we reach out to the client and do physical counseling before we share these results.”
Dr. Mwesigwa highlighted that My Doctor has since embedded digital payments into their telemedicine proposition thus allowing the customers a chance to receive healthcare services and conveniently pay either through mobile money, bank transactions, or cash; whichever they prefer.
He revealed that in 2023 alone, over 4,600 customers reached out to My Doctor through the telemedicine approach while in the first half of 2024, at least 4,200 people have reached out via the same telemedicine service.
“In just six months of 2024, we are almost surpassing the number of customers we served in 2023. Majority of those that call seeking these services are women. This shows the high interest and belief that clients have in telemedicine.”
My Doctor Healthcare Services has featured on Day 9 of 40 Days 40 FinTechs initiative Season 5.
Run under HiPipo’s Include Everyone program that also encompasses other initiatives such as FinTech Landscape Exhibition, Women in FinTech Hackathon, Summit & Incubator, and the Digital and Financial Inclusion Summit and Digital Impact Awards Africa; the #40Days40FinTechs platform aptly provides a setting for the various players and stakeholders involved in digital and financial technology to exhibit their products and services. It also gives players a platform to share their ideas on how the unserved and underserved by the present financial systems can be brought into the fold.
“We are happy to kick off Season Five of 40 Days 40 FinTechs. Last year, we focused on end-user experiences, and this year, we will focus on the innovativeness of the FinTechs. We are going to have candid discussions with FinTechs about their innovations and latest upgrades and what impact they envision these products and services and upgrades will have on their customers,” Innocent Kawooya, the HiPipo Chief Executive Officer noted.
With over 150 participants in the last four years, #40Days40FinTechs continues to be the world’s premier showcase event for innovations that are enabling underserved populations to join the digital economy space. We know that this can only get better owing to the inspiration and collaboration of our partners; Level One Project, Mojaloop Foundation, INFITX, Cyberplc Academy, Ideation Corner, and Crosslake Technologies. Most importantly, the initiative owes its continued success to the generous support of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
