Pysician boosts healthcare delivery with mobile app

Hudibia founder, Dr. Ahjoku Amadi-Obi

A Nigerian Research Fellow (Telemedicine) at Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland, Dr. Ahjoku Amadi-Obi, has said that putting the Internet to positive use can bring health care delivery closer to the people.

Amadi-Obi said this at the inauguration of the Hudibia, a digital mobile app that enables patients to access medical experts in all areas of specialties.

“It will make for swift access, quality health care delivery and better monitoring of patients’ health across the globe,” the physician said.

Amadi-Obi described the app as an innovative health solution provider that uses emerging technologies to ease the challenges of qualitative healthcare, while also providing easy access to experts, even in remote areas.

“Hudibia means ‘see a doctor’ in the Igbo language. This app, which is available on Android, Google Play Store and IOS, uses emerging technologies like mHealth and Telemedicine, alongside wearable technology to deliver sustainable high quality and cost-effective healthcare to people anywhere in the world,” he noted.

He disclosed that Hudibia comprises specialists such as gynaecologists, paediatricians, oncologists, dentists, optometrists and pharmacists at home and abroad.

“Patients can log on to the platform and register under ‘non-doctors category’ for free.

“They will choose any doctor of their choice, open the profile of him and read through. We evaluate these shrinks before we upload them on the platform.”

Amadi-Obi, who had practised medicine overseas for deacdes, said patients could chat and do live stream video chat with their chosen doctors.

“You can book a doctor for a family member in a village, make the payment and leave the contact of the person.

“The doctor will trace the patient and give him/her home service treatment. And drugs are prescribed for patients, too.”

On the checks his team has put in place to ensure that patients are satisfied with the services, the expert disclosed that they have got Hudibia team that goes from one place to the other to monitor activities of the medical practitioners registered on their app.

Meanwhile, the platform allows interaction in various local languages such as Igbo, Yoruba and Hausa, alongside international languages such as English, French and Arabic.

“We are trying to eliminate barriers. This way, patients can interact suavely with the experts,” Amadi-Obi said.

The app, which already has 1,000 users, has 250 doctors of various categories on board.

He added, “Although this project has been on since 2014, the solution became active last year.”

For pregnant women, Amadi-Obi stated that expectant mothers can do live ultra-sound via video chat; adding that gynaecologists can successfully do the ultra-sound for pregnant women until time of delivery.

“They can go to the nearest hospital to have their babies or choose to go to that doctor’s.”

Ultimately, Hudibia is to bridge the gap between patients and doctors and break the long queues at hospitals.

“We are providing quality health care services wherever and whenever needed.”