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Where The Vision Began:
It was on a Monday afternoon in Freetown. A mother clutched her sick child, standing under the scorching sun outside one of the city's main hospitals. She's been there since 8:35 a.m., and she was number 55 in a long queue. Inside the hospital, only six doctors were on duty they were all exhausted and overwhelmed. The child had malaria, but the mother couldn't be seen yet. And when her turn finally came, the doctor scribbled a prescription that led her to street-side drug vendors because all the certified pharmacies she knew were out of stock again.
This isn't a fiction, but everyday reality for millions across Sierra Leone and Africa. It doesn't have to be like that.
In Sierra Leone and many parts of Africa, accessing quality healthcare remains a formidable challenge. For example, long queues on doctors appointments, proliferation of counterfeit medicines on the streets, and a shortage of medical professionals are daily realities for millions.
Nevertheless, "FirstAid" aims to bridge these gaps by providing a comprehensive digital platform that connects patients with certified healthcare providers, streamlines hospital operations, and ensures the availability of genuine medications.
Our Vision:
Our vision is bold and clear, which is to ensure that no African has to die due to inaccessibility of proper healthcare systems & experts. FirstAid exists to bridge the tragic gap between doctors, hospitals, pharmacies, and the people who desperately need them.
FirstAid is not born out of ambition, but necessity. With FirstAid, the mother in Sierra Leone can consult a doctor from her home, get a verified prescription, and order certified drugs delivered to her doorstep, all in one seamless platform.
Problem Statement:
In Sierra Leone and many African countries, patients and healthcare system faces systemic challenges:
Sierra Leone's Patients & Healthcare Landscape:
- Shortage of Medical Professionals:
With only 500 doctors serving a population of approximately 12+ million, Sierra Leone faces a critical shortage of health professionals.
- Limited Healthcare Facilities:
The country has 58 hospitals, 54 clinics, and numerous peripheral healthcare Units (PHUs), mostly urban, leaving rural areas grossly undeserved.
- High Maternal Mortality Rate:
Sierra Leone has the highest maternal mortality rate globally, with between 1,165 and 1,360 deaths per 100,000 child births, due to inaccessibility of health professionals.
Africa's Broader Challenges:
- Healthcare Worker Shortage:
The African region has a ratio of 1.55 health workers (physicians, nurses, and midwives) per 1,000 people significantly below the WHO threshold of 4.45 per 1,000 needed to deliver essential health services.
- Access to Genuine Medications:
The proliferation of counterfeit medicines poses a significant health risks, with many individuals resorting to unverified sources due to the inaccessibility of certified pharmacies.
Our Solution:
"FirstAid" is a HealthTech web based & mobile application system, designed to address these systemic challenges by offering:
- Virtual Consultations:
Patients can book live consultations with doctors across various hospitals in Sierra Leone and Africa, reducing the need for physical visits and long queues waiting for doctors appointments.
- Real-Time Chat:
This allows continuous communication between patients and healthcare providers, ensuring timely medical advice and follow-ups.
- Access to Certified Healthcare Systems & Professionals:
Patients can search and access nearby genuine healthcare centers, pharmacies and doctors via the app, ensuring they receive authentic medical attentions.
- Healthcare Management:
An integrated feature for healthcare management in Sierra Leone and Africa like, human resource (doctors, patients, nurses), finances, departments, patients beds, pharmacies, lab activities, medicines, donors, communication, appointments, patients prescriptions, patients data and more.
- Web Page Generation:
Our system generates a webpage for any healthcare center that registers on our platform. They can use the webpage to advertise their health centers, services, doctors, nurses, medicines and overall healthcare operations to patients across Africa.
Societal Impact Assessment of FirstAid:
FirstAid will significantly improve healthcare accessibility by connecting patients in remote or underserved regions of Sierra Leone and Africa with qualified medical professionals through its web based and mobile app system.
It will reduce wait times and travel burdens by enabling remote consultations, prescription services, and health education.
By digitizing patient records and appointment systems, it will enhance efficiency and continuity of care in healthcare facilities.
The software will also support early diagnosis and preventive care, contributing to better long-term health outcomes.
Overall, FirstAid will empower communities with timely, affordable healthcare solutions, fostering a healthier and more resilient society.
The Team Behind the Vision
FirstAid is developed by TS 4AFRICA, a tech company committed to building solutions tailored for African needs. Led by Emmanuel, an ICT engineer and visionary techpreneur. The team blends deep technical expertise with an intimate understanding of Africa's healthcare landscape.