9 affordable telemedicine startups transforming how we access healthcare in Nigeria

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May 11, 2023
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5 min read

The growing use of technology has made healthcare more accessible than ever. Nigerian telemedicine startups are transforming healthcare delivery by enabling simple access to affordable medical care.

These startups provide several services, including virtual doctor consultations, prescription drug deliveries to homes, and online medical consultations. They also offer access to specialists, mental health consultations, and remote monitoring of patients with chronic conditions.

From the convenience of your home, you can access high-quality healthcare services with just a few clicks on your phone or computer.

So whether you require an urgent medical consultation, a prescription refill, or access to a specialist, telemedicine startups in Nigeria have you covered.

This article examines nine telemedicine startups in Nigeria that provide accessible and reasonably priced healthcare.

Note: The startups listed here are not in any particular order.

1. Mobihealth International

Nigerian telemedicine platform, Mobihealth, provides quality, affordable healthcare services to underserved communities via the Mobihealth Consult app.

The company offers several products and services, including quick online appointments, real-time video consultations, mobile clinics for remote locations, and telehealth cabins.

Moreover, it provides educational and life skills programmes for health professionals and communities and electronic medical records (EMRs) that enhance patient care delivery and management in hospitals and clinics.

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Users can pay between ₦2,500 ($5.40) and ₦5,000  ($10.80) per year depending on the plan, which includes options for individuals, couples, and families of up to four people.

2. iWello

iWello is a telemedicine startup where anyone in Nigeria can consult with doctors via chat, audio, and video calls on the iWello app.

The platform enables anyone, regardless of income level, to obtain healthcare for as little as $1 and surgery funding while also ensuring the safety of doctors and healthcare workers.

There are two types of surgery funding: paid and free. The company pays for the former before the surgery, and the client repays later.

While iWello pays for the surgery in full, patients pay in instalments after the surgery is complete.

So, it provides free surgery funding for people who cannot afford it. The free option functions like a social trust fund with profits and donations from the general public who pay for people who cannot afford the paid opportunity.

3. CribMD

The company allows patients — with a subscription plan ranging between $7 and $50 monthly — to request doctors for house calls or consultations via telemedicine.

With a one-time fee of ₦1,000 ($2.16), you can consult a doctor via the app. The company also offers insurance services for individuals and corporations.

The telemedicine startup offers online pharmacy, virtual consultations, and home services, including dermatology, optometry, and cardiology.

4. Tremendoc

This telemedicine startup provides a round-the-clock, all-encompassing virtual experience that offers accessible and reasonably priced healthcare services.

You can have audio and video calls, chat, and consultations with doctors, specialists, therapists, and fertility experts using the Tremendoc app. You can also order surgical, laboratory, and pharmacy services.

You must subscribe to a plan that suits your needs to use the telemedicine platform.

The three plan types offered by Tremendoc are retail, premium, and health management organisation (HMO). The retail plan, which costs ₦1,000 ($2.16) per month, gives you access to all general practitioners for unlimited consultations and access to laboratories, getting prescriptions, and viewing medical reports.

While the HMO plan is only available to members of Tremendoc-affiliated-HMOs, the monthly premium plan costs ₦3,000 ($6.5), including access to specialist doctors and retail plan services.

5. DRO Health

This Nigerian telemedicine platform allows virtual consultations with qualified practitioners, specialists, therapists, and counsellors via chat, audio, and video calls.

You can also use the app to request radiology, laboratory, and pharmacy services. The platform has a monthly subscription plan for ₦2,000 ($4.32) or a pay-as-you-go option.

It uses a marketplace model, making several doctors with various specialities available for booking at different prices. You select which to use by looking through the profiles to see if any meet the requirements of a doctor you’d want to speak with.

Because each doctor has a different availability schedule, you should make an appointment ahead of time.

It also has trackers for several health-related needs, such as a mood diary, period tracker, heart health, and other essentials for staying on top of your health.

Additionally, DRO Health includes a pharmacy where you can order medications and have them delivered to you.

6. HealthConnect247

This platform offers access to quality and convenient healthcare 24/7 in English, Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba, and Pidgin. You can consult with doctors via phone calls on the app or its website.

You can monitor health-related needs such as blood sugar, oxygen level, weight, and more, similar to the features offered by the DRO Health mobile application.

Unlike DRO Health, you do not need to make an appointment in advance to speak with a doctor because you can use the application's "Speak to a Doctor Now" feature, which is available for Android and iOS devices.

The telemedicine platform also provides access to virtual clinics and hospital-at-home services. Plans on the platform range in price from ₦500 ($1.08) to ₦5,000 ($10.80) per month.

7. Clafiya

This telemedicine startup provides online consultations with physicians and nurses. Clafiya also links users with community health workers who can deliver basic healthcare at their homes or workplaces.

It offers consultation, health education, rapid diagnostic tests for malaria and typhoid, STD testing, and screening for hypertension, diabetes, or blood sugar. It also provides in-person maternity care testing.

Patients can pay ₦‎5,000 ($10.8) to receive in-person care while communicating with doctors virtually via video call.

Additionally, for ₦‎2,500 ($5.4), patients can receive health care without an in-person visit if they only want a virtual consultation.  

8. Doctor247

Doctor247 is a telemedicine platform that enables anyone to speak with a doctor about lifestyle management, women's sexual and reproductive health, or general, pediatric, or mental wellness.

This telemedicine startup focuses on the fundamental healthcare requirements of people, organisations, clinics, and communities.

Prices vary from ₦500 ($1.08) to ₦5,000 ($10.8) depending on the type of service.

9. JEAY Healthcare

JEAY provides telemedicine solutions for primary care, mental health, and sexual and reproductive health.

Patients can consult a doctor about issues relating to these healthcare services via the platform’s video, audio, or messaging options.

The telemedicine platform also plans to launch an Online Medical Store section within the next three months where users who don’t want to go to stores can order medical-related items.

The company charges a ₦1,000 ($2.18) upfront payment per consultation before granting access to a doctor.

These telemedicine startups and others are bringing healthcare services to people's fingertips. The potential for telemedicine startups to advance healthcare services in Nigeria further and improve the lives of millions of Nigerians is exciting to watch as technology develops.

So, let's kick back and enjoy the ride as telemedicine startups transform Nigerian healthcare!

She's autistic and interested in mental health and how technology can help Africans with mental disorders. Find her on Twitter @latoria_ria.
She's autistic and interested in mental health and how technology can help Africans with mental disorders. Find her on Twitter @latoria_ria.
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She's autistic and interested in mental health and how technology can help Africans with mental disorders. Find her on Twitter @latoria_ria.

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