WapiMED
Development of a platform to put patients in contact with healthcare professionals/establishments
Project start date : 28/03/2016
Last updated : 16/03/2022
Beneficiary country : Congo (the Democratic Republic of the) Gabon Congo (the) Cameroon
What problem does the initiative address ?
The idea behind WapiMED was make healthcare professionals more accessible to communities in Sub-Saharan Africa through new ICT and greater mobile internet coverage in a region subject to “medical desertification” (not enough healthcare staff to deliver sufficient care to local communities).
Detailed description of the initiative
The initial offering, WapiMED, is made up of a cross-platform web app (computer, tablet, smartphone) that combined the following intuitive features: 1. GPS location of the user and directory of healthcare professionals/establishments, sorted by distance from the user’s position. 2. Various advanced filter (selection) criteria so that user’s can quickly find what they need (specialism, specific location, search radius, etc.). 3. Click-To-Call feature to make it easier to get in touch. 4. Useful information (alternative phone numbers, visiting hours, specialisms treated, costs, etc.) when available. 5. Healthcare professional rating system (governed by our terms and conditions). 6. Automatic route suggestion (Google Maps API) from user location.
What is the proposed solution added value ?
The added value of the solution is as follows: • Find the nearest healthcare professionals in just a few click. • Make an appointment. • Find out how to get to the professional’s address using GPS. • Gain an insight into what other patients think of the healthcare professional. • Find additional information that may inform users’ choices (opening times, specialisms treated, costs, etc.).To date, competition is limited to basic directories that do not show how far away a doctor, hospital, of pharmacy is, and do not offer route suggestions for getting there or any additional information.
La concurrence à ce jour se limite à des annuaires basiques qui ne permettent pas déterminer la distance par rapport à un médecin, un hôpital ou une pharmacie, ne proposent pas l’itinéraire ou d’informations complémentaires.
28 000
Number of beneficiaries since launch
2 Full-Time equivalents
N/C Employees
N/C Volunteers
N/C Service providers
28 000
Number of beneficiaries since launch
Target audience
- Healthcare professionals and structures (hospitals, healthcare centres/clinics, health networks)
- Sick people
- Pregnant women
- Children - adolescents (ages 6-18)
- Young children (0-5 years)
- Patient family/entourage
Project objectives
- Improved treatment
- Other (please explain)
Materials used
- Smartphone
- Tablet
- Computer
Technologies used
- Internet
- Geolocation
- Mobile app (Android, iOS, Windows Phone, HTML5, etc.)
Offline use
No
Open source
No
Open data
No
Independent evaluation
No
About the sponsor
WapiMED SARL
WapiMED SARL is a Congolese start-up (DR Congo) founded in April 2016 and based in Kinshasa. The start-up was founded by two Congolese entrepreneurs: José Zefu Kimpalou and Steve Nkashama. As it was being founded, WapiMED SARL released the WapiMED web application, the first ever location directory dedicated entirely to healthcare professionals in the DRC. In late 2016, two Congolese developers, Urey Mutuale and Norby Baruani, joined the start-up to accelerate the development of additional solutions and services for the WapiMED web app, in an effort to form a multi-service platform dedicated to e-health.
Sector : Industrial (Startups, enterprises, etc.)
Country of origin : Congo (the Democratic Republic of the)
Contact : Sponsor website Project website