The significance of health has gained prominence in today’s world, and the disruptive innovations prevalent in the market have not left the healthcare sector untouched. Mr. Mayowa Oyatogun is an exemplar in the healthcare industry who has ventured to enhance people’s health maintenance through a groundbreaking health-tech innovation that is currently benefiting numerous individuals.
In his interview with us at GABI, Mr. Mayowa delved into the inception and the future of this disruptive innovation, which is revolutionizing the healthcare industry in Africa and across the globe.
WALK US THROUGH YOUR JOURNEY AND HOW IT ALL BEGAN.
I am Mayowa Julius Oyatogun, In 2017, I served as the Financial Services Lead at a consulting firm, predominantly engaging with financial services companies. Despite my primary focus on financial services clients, I occasionally worked on projects with clients outside the financial sector. This experience led me to conduct extensive research across various industries, particularly noting the impressive growth rates in the health and payment gateway sectors within the fintech industry. The notable expansion in these sectors was primarily attributed to the relatively low penetration rate in Nigeria at that time.
The journey wasn’t without challenges, especially at the outset. We initiated our efforts using Skype during the pandemic and later transitioned to developing a chatbot. The goal was to ensure continued accessibility to health, particularly given the decreasing doctor-to-patient ratio. Speaking of the chatbot, we recently completed the Sexual Health module in Pidgin and have plans to release versions in other languages. Furthermore, we have extended our efforts to collaborate with hospitals, implementing robust security measures to safeguard patient data and streamline the documentation processes. This step became crucial as a significant number of hospitals in the city struggled to ensure strong data security and efficient documentation systems.
The initiatives in telehealth and Electronic Medical Records (EMR) are imperative to adapt to the evolving dynamics of healthcare. The overarching objectives include enhancing patient outcomes, improving operational efficiency, and ensuring that healthcare services remain accessible and convenient for a diverse range of patients.
HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE IDEA FOR THE COMPANY?
Having worked with corporate ventures at a consulting firm in 2017, I delved into extensive research across various industries. The health and online education sectors stood out, showing remarkable growth rates that persist today. Focusing on “health tech,” I conducted thorough research on health, nutrition, and cognitive performance. The realization that people are eager to explore their health through innovation, data, and quality products prompted the conceptualization of a much-needed telemedicine and EMR service.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT YOU FACED ALONG THE JOURNEY?
One of the biggest challenges was getting the average person to make use of Dr Lola as most are already accustomed towards meeting a physical doctor for minor issues such as headaches. In addition, it was a challenge making a case to some doctors about the reason they need to embrace a digital way of working, because lots of them were trained in school to write things down on paper, and that is not efficient, it’s not easy to track and it’s not transparent. It has been a bit hard trying to convince them why they need to document all they’re doing on a computer. Explaining why they need to send their prescription digitally to the pharmacy. Also, keep records and document their bills properly so that their HMOs or their insurance partners can receive a detailed breakdown of their bills and financial records.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST MILESTONES THAT YOU EVER SURMOUNTED?
Yeah, the big project we had with a General Hospital offering EMR and telemedicine services as well as with a group of hospitals affiliated with a tier 1 insurance company was a huge success. We helped design some of their operations and also we’ve have steadily gotten some big clients as well. I think to have been considered for acquisition by some companies also indicates we are along the right path and exceeding expectations.
LOOKING INTO THE CONTEXT OF AFRICA THROUGH THE LENS OF THE HEALTH SECTOR, DO YOU THINK TECH COULD BE THE NEXT GAME CHANGER?
The answer is nuanced. While various technologies hold the potential to revolutionize healthcare in Africa, it’s crucial to emphasize that technology alone cannot solve problems. The key lies in how technology is harnessed and implemented. Our approach involves not only introducing technology but also extensive training, effective implementation, and iterative refinement based on real-world outcomes.
DO YOU THINK LOW DIGITAL LITERACY, ESPECIALLY IN LOW-INCOME POPULATIONS, CAN POSE SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES TO ADOPTING DIGITAL HEALTH SOLUTIONS?
In recent years, there has been a noticeable increase in the prevalence of Android smartphones in use, particularly for communication purposes through apps like WhatsApp and making phone calls. This trend challenges the perception of low digital literacy.
I think there exists quite a high digital adoption rate in Nigeria, even among low-income populations, and anticipates further growth. The willingness of the Nigerian population, particularly the younger demographic, to embrace digital changes suggests a cultural openness to technological advancements.
ONE OF THE DOWNSIDES OF MIGRATION IS THE INCREASED INFANT MORTALITY RATES. IN YOUR OPINION, HOW CAN LARGE-SCALE MIGRATION OF PHYSICIANS BE MITIGATED?
Yeah, that’s a good question and, indeed, a big problem. We see this brain drain a lot. Not only in doctors but also in software developers. I would say it’s a big problem to have a single answer. One, you should have to make good jobs and quality of life in the country better so that people will want to stay. That would also mean increasing salaries for doctors but if you increase salaries for doctors might also need to increase salaries for a lot of other people, the Hospital directors, and maybe the nurses. It’s economy, so it’s all connected. We cannot have one. I would say, for example, there are possibilities in technology like virtual care where you can have people working remotely. Also, people can live in Pakistan and work remotely for the healthcare sector in Nigeria in some cases, but that’s solving a small part of the problem. For example, I spoke to many people from Africa who are proud of their nations and go to other countries only as a partial thing to have a bit of experience in that career and come back and bring a lot of experience back to their country. So, it’s a good example of how it could work. And, yeah, to me, it’s pretty difficult to say. There is no one solution to this. For example, if you look at the infant mortality rate being connected to the migration of doctors, then I would say we need to work with effects that are here on the ground. We cannot change the minds of every doctor in Nigeria. At least we cannot change them in 20 years, maybe in 40 or 50 years. So we need to make a kind of technology suited to work with the effects, so one option could be to start trusting more on technology to make more diagnoses, for example, which otherwise could have been done by doctors or you start integrating virtual care, or you start adding more features to your technology which makes lower trained doctors also have skills that only higher trained doctors could do. So, these are things we are thinking of doing, like how can we enable people who are still there to get the most out of their capabilities. I think that’s one solution, and I hope that there is a time when it’s more exciting and rewarding to work in your home country than to be overseas, of course, this does not really have to do with money, it can be that there are just more interesting jobs for you in your home country than overseas and your salary is nearly the same so, why would you leave, right? So, I hope these times will come.
HOW CAN AI AND TECHNOLOGY IMPROVE HEALTHCARE OUTCOMES? (SPEAKING ABOUT HOW DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY HAS THE POTENTIAL TO ADDRESS A WIDE RANGE OF PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUES)
Nigeria has about 24, 000 actively licensed physicians caring for its over 200 million population as a result of brain drain in the country. Available data places it around 24,000 giving a horrible true ratio of approximately 1:10,000 or even greater with the rate doctors are leaving the country. This ratio of 1:10,000 is a national average but in most states, the situation is palpably worse.
Only one doctor is incredibly available to treat 30, 000 patients in some states in the South, while states in the North are as bad as one doctor to 45,000 patients. In some rural areas, patients have to travel more than 30 kilometres from their abodes to get medical attention where available thus making access to healthcare a rarity
Based on WHO established minimum threshold, a country needs a mix of 23 doctors, nurses and midwives per 10,000 Population to deliver essential maternal and child health services.
With this background information, AI Diagnosis, Virtual Health assistants and Personalized medicine will be the most impactful because it can help reduce the rate patients have to visit the hospital as well as the workload on the doctors.
Just like Kromium’s Health diagnosis and virtual Assistant, Dr. Lola is playing her role in reducing healthcare professionals’ workload by minimizing hospital visits, unnecessary treatments and procedures, and reducing hospital admissions and readmissions. As a result, treatment compliance and knowledge about symptoms have improved. For patients, this offers numerous benefits, such as the ability to answer questions tirelessly in a soothing and cheerful tone, providing patients with a sense of anonymity and the freedom to openly discuss their health. The chatbot also ensures consistency in communication with all patients, free from biases or personal issues that could affect performance.
COULD YOU BRIEFLY TELL US MORE ABOUT KROMIUM HEALTH?
Kromium Health, we aim to address hospital electronic medical records challenges as well as sexual and mental healthcare issues. We strive to create a healthier future for all through technology and data. Our goal is to make a positive impact by providing technological solutions for affordable, efficient, and high-quality healthcare in emerging markets.
Kromium Health is committed to health inclusivity, with its chatbot available in Nigeria’s local dialects, such as Pidgin, Igbo, Hausa, and Yoruba, making it accessible across the country. Kromium Health intends to address this healthcare challenge with a conversational artificial intelligence chatbot named “Dr Lola,” available on WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Telegram available in different local languages.
Currently, we have 1146 average daily users utilizing the chatbot across different platforms, such as Facebook and Telegram. We anticipate further growth due to the value the platform adds for potential users. Users will experience a reduced need to visit a doctor or mental health practitioner for their health challenges. The average year-on-year increase in patient uptake clearly indicates the viability of the business in the medium to long term.
HOW DO YOU THINK YOUNG STARTUPS CAN SUSTAIN THEIR RELEVANCE IN THE NIGERIAN BUSINESS SPACE?
Maintaining excellent customer service is crucial for the ongoing relevance of a business. Despite potential distractions, particularly from larger brands engaged in high-profile activities like paying influencers significant amounts for product promotions, smaller brands should not be disheartened. The truth is that such strategies might not ensure sustained growth in the long term, even if there is an initial boost in sales from increased exposure. The key for young startups to ensure their survival is to consistently focus on meeting the precise needs of their customers. As a startup, it’s essential to stay closely connected with customers and tailor services to their preferences.
In our case, our telemedicine service, “Dr. Lola,” initially launched on Skype, has experienced substantial growth over the past four years. This success is attributed to our continuous communication with customers, actively seeking feedback on their challenges, evaluating what is effective for them and what isn’t, and understanding their desires for additional features. I believe that every business should prioritize maintaining a strong and close relationship with its customers to remain relevant in the market.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CORE VALUES EVERY STARTUP SHOULD HAVE?
Firstly, prioritize listening to your customers and avoid getting sidetracked by the fundraising activities of other startups. Make your customer the central focus, ensuring their immense satisfaction with your product. Secondly, maintain financial prudence by avoiding unnecessary expenditures. It’s not advisable to use your investment capital for luxurious office renovations or buying expensive laptops for your staff when the primary focus should be on enhancing your services to better serve your customers.
Additionally, create something that people genuinely desire. Instead of hastily moving from a vague idea or concept to product development, ensure that you are addressing a real problem and providing a solution that aligns with your customer’s needs. This means actively finding ways to alleviate your customer’s pain points with a product that resonates with their desires.
WHAT DOES THE FUTURE OF HEALTHTECH IN AFRICA LOOK LIKE FOR YOU?
I would say, in general, I see a bright future because there are a lot of technology needs. As I mentioned, many people are already using digital technologies in Africa, and things are catching up quickly. There are also a lot of innovators from Africa, especially in this health-tech hub as well as building solutions that can benefit locally. So, I would say that’s a bright future, and that’s why we believe in it and are here. We want to work together in this bright future. We believe the African population and the African mindset to solve this problem together. I think that’s needed, and I think that’s also happening, so I’m optimistic about It.