Transforming Nigeria’s Healthcare: Godswill Njoku’s Telemedicine…

Godswill Njoku, a 24-year-old Nigerian, is innovating healthcare through his company Hospiyou, focusing on telemedicine and AI integration. Despite personal financial struggles, he aims to enhance healthcare access and affordability, particularly in underserved areas, and addresses the challenges faced in Nigeria’s healthcare system.

Godswill Njoku, a 24-year-old Nigerian innovator, aims to transform the global healthcare landscape by fusing technology, artificial intelligence, and medicine. He is the founder of Hospiyou Inc., a health technology firm dedicated to creating medical products and devices to make quality healthcare affordable and accessible to all. In a recent interview, Njoku discussed the future of telemedicine and the state of Nigeria’s healthcare system.

Njoku holds a medical degree from Bulgaria, where he interned in various hospitals focusing on neurosurgery and cardiology. His desire to enter telemedicine was profoundly influenced by the tragic loss of his best friend, who might have survived with better healthcare access facilitated by Hospiyou.

He articulates that Nigeria’s healthcare system is severely underfunded, with major obstacles such as inadequate infrastructure, a lack of healthcare professionals, and poor access to quality care, particularly in rural areas. Financial constraints have compelled Njoku to self-fund Hospiyou, as he has yet to secure any external financial support.

In the past few years, telemedicine in Nigeria has seen substantial growth attributed to the increased use of smartphones and internet access, spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, adoption remains sluggish due to ongoing infrastructure challenges and regulatory uncertainties.

Major hurdles to telemedicine include limited internet access in rural regions, inadequate digital literacy among healthcare users, and concerns over data security. Telemedicine addresses these gaps by offering remote consultations that reduce travel costs and improve access to specialists, particularly in underserved areas.

The evolution of mobile technology and internet coverage is anticipated to stimulate telemedicine growth, though rural areas still experience connectivity issues. While Nigeria’s regulatory framework for telehealth is developing, it currently lags behind countries with more established protocols.

Government initiatives to enhance digital health, such as the National Health ICT Strategic Framework, have been implemented but progress has been slow, with much of the developments in telemedicine coming from the private sector. Njoku has indicated that Hospiyou has not benefited from governmental support initiatives.

Digital infrastructure varies significantly, with urban areas typically enjoying better service than rural locations, where issues like unreliable power supply persist. In Nigeria, AI is utilized for diagnostics, predictive analytics, and personalized treatment, with Hospiyou developing sophisticated AI diagnostic systems.

Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) are vital for improving telehealth but face slow adoption due to cost and interoperability concerns. Innovations like AI-driven diagnostics and IoT-enabled monitoring are predicted to further enhance telemedicine capacities in Nigeria.

Despite Godswill Njoku’s personal funding of Hospiyou, other telemedicine startups could explore funding through venture capital, government grants, or corporate partnerships. Engaging the private sector is essential for advancing innovation and expanding healthcare access across Nigeria.

Telemedicine has reshaped the doctor-patient dynamic, increasing accessibility while introducing challenges of impersonal treatment and mistrust due to digital literacy Shortcomings. Njoku envisions a future where telemedicine integrates more AI applications and regulatory frameworks are improved, alongside stronger collaboration between government and private sectors.

To promote better adoption of telemedicine, clear regulations, incentives for healthcare providers, and enhanced rural digital infrastructure are necessary. Nigeria should leverage partnerships with international health and tech firms to enhance telemedicine capabilities and provide robust training for healthcare workers on technology use.

Njoku advises aspiring entrepreneurs in telemedicine to prioritize addressing accessibility in underserved areas, ensure compliance with regulations, and build trust through high-quality, secure service delivery. He underscores the importance of exploring hybrid models combining physical and digital consultations for continuous improvement.

Godswill Njoku is actively disrupting Nigeria’s healthcare landscape through his pioneering work with Hospiyou, targeting the challenges faced by the sector. While telemedicine has made significant strides, accessibility, regulatory, and infrastructural hurdles persist. Njoku’s insights highlight the urgent need for private and government collaboration to improve Nigeria’s healthcare system as it transitions into a more technologically advanced future, strengthened further by AI and innovative practices.

Original Source: businessday.ng