Healthcare in Nigeria has been in a terrible state for quite a long time now. The country still struggles to find solutions to simple medical problems and occurrences. The Government, on its part, seem not to be doing much to help. Sadly too, private medical outfits do not always have sufficient funds to provide adequate services at affordable prices.
Thankfully, things are changing quickly with new startups springing up in the health sector. One of such startups is Helium Health.
According to the National Academy for Medicine, misread physicians handwritings are responsible for 7,000 deaths a year globally. #medtech #healthcare #medicine #emr #life #publichealth #technology pic.twitter.com/d5C6QDaf2c
— Helium Health (@HeliumHealth) June 7, 2018
Helium Health is an Electronic Health Record company. The startup specializes in developing hospital software to manage patients’ health record and data.
Nigerian Hospitals Still Store Medical Records on Paper
In developed countries, digitizing medical records is not new; medical records are integrated into the social strata of these societies. Governments and private firms rely on these data to provide adequate services, such as social security and health insurance for citizens.
We are not just dedicated to transitioning healthcare facilities to a smart, rugged electronic medical records system, we are invested in changing healthcare for the better across Africa and the world #Healthcare #PublicHealth #MedTech #Medical #Technology #emr pic.twitter.com/FxSFKXatyZ
— Helium Health (@HeliumHealth) June 4, 2018
However, in Africa, particularly in Nigeria, medical services are yet to be digitized. IN most cases, medical records are still done on paper, which takes up valuable spaces in hospitals, and in some cases, records are burnt after some time.
This is where Helium Health comes in.
Helium Health Provides a Holistic Medical Platform
Founded in 2014 by Adegoke Olubusi, Dimeji Sofowora, the startup is pushing to make Nigerian health sector data-driven. Using a hybrid subscription model, Helium offers a human-friendly software to manage patient records.
Our easy to use EHR software helps to reduce the odds of this happening with our customizable medical encounter notes feature. A minor victory in the scheme of things we need to improve in our healthcare system but also a massive victory for every life we help save. #medtech
— Helium Health (@HeliumHealth) June 7, 2018
Helium is already gaining traction gradually. Presently 20 facilities and 500 foreign-trained professionals are already signed up for its services. Beginning with high-end medical centres, the startup aims to become a mainstay on the African continent. The startup has also scored a major deal with the Akwa Ibom State Government to provide data management solution for the state’s medical centres.
But beyond record management, the startup also developed analytics and a payment system in its software. Thus its not just a records software. Helium Health software is the full CRM suite Nigerian hospitals desperately need.
Since its creation, the startup has raised about $170k in two rounds of funding. In November 2017, it raised $50k from the Google LaunchPad programme.
Our COO @dimejisofowora presenting at @vivatech. We are focused on transitioning hospitals across Africa from a paper based health record system to a smart digital management system that will help them become more efficient #VivaTech #healthcare #emr #startups #digitalhealth pic.twitter.com/XmsOd9kNAm
— Helium Health (@HeliumHealth) May 25, 2018
in 2017, Helium was accepted into the prestigious YCombinator programme. As a participant, Helium gets a $120,000 as well as mentorship and networking perks.
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