According to a McKinsey study, the use of telemedicine soared over the world during the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic.
It was a tremendous opportunity for telemedicine to create additional inroads in some parts of Africa. Thus, Rocket Health, a firm that uses technology to change the delivery of medical care in Uganda, the industry had already sprung off with this actionable process.
Rocket Health, which was founded in 2012, provides online medical consultations, sample collection, and medication delivery. They also feature a USSD service for folks who don’t have access to the internet.
Following a $5 million Series A fundraising, the firm is planning to grow its comprehensive digital health service to other regions across Uganda and East Africa over the next two years, after nearly a decade of operation. It will explore expansion prospects in West Africa in the long run.
Dr. Davis Musinguzi, co-founder and CEO of Rocket Health, told TechCrunch that the larger goal is to make healthcare more accessible across Africa, which has the world’s greatest disease burden and lowest patient-to-doctor ratio.
According to the World Health Organization, countries in Sub-Saharan Africa currently have 0.23 doctors per 10,000 inhabitants, compared to 84.2 doctors in the most affluent countries.
“I believe technology will enable us to bridge that gap, increase efficiencies, and expand our reach.” There’s no way we’ll be able to build enough hospitals to provide everyone with the health care they require. “I believe telemedicine is a great way to bridge the availability gap,” Musinguzi added.
The new round of finance was headed by Creadev, an evergreen investment business sponsored by the Mulliez family, and included early African investors Grenfell Holdings and LoftyInc Capital Management, bringing Rocket Health’s total funding to $6.2 million.
Techbuild’s Take
Rocket Health has its own lab and pharmacy delivery options, according to Musinguzi, which allows them to maintain control over product and service delivery. They charge $3 for the consultation and $1.5 for the delivery of the drugs.
The need for remote treatment during the Covid epidemic accelerated the company’s growth from a few thousand digital consultations per year to almost 400,000.
Its clientele includes everyone from parents who want their children immunized to patients who are dealing with chronic ailments.
In addition, 12 insurance companies have signed on, providing it access to a pool of customers throughout Uganda and East Africa, as most of them have a strong foothold.
Rocket Health has teamed with Ada, a Berlin-based final user self-assessment platform, to incorporate artificial intelligence into its tele-consultations as it develops and enters its next phase of growth. We believe that this partnership couple with the funding will help bolster telemedicine in Uganda and subsequently, across Africa.
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