DEMO Africa 2016 winner ConnectMed launches operations in Kenya

DEMO Africa 2016 winner ConnectMed, a Kenyan startup has officially launched operations in Kenya.

The telehealth startup allows people to have virtual consultations with and get treated by a doctor anytime, anywhere and allows doctors to see patients in their spare time.

“You can request to see one of our trained KMPDB-licensed doctors for a 15-minute virtual consultation, 8 am to 11 pm, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, with same-day availability guaranteed. Our doctors can provide you with a prescription, sick note or referral letter and, as a ConnectMed Patient, you also get discounts on medications and follow-on services from our service partners,” explained Melissa McCoy, CEO ConnectMed during the launch.

ConnectMed usage is quite high in Nairobi, with users enjoying after-hours access to doctors, the convenience of not having to wade through traffic and the privacy that’s provided by the system, the company said.

“Healthcare in Kenya is both scarce, given that there are too few doctors as well as inaccessibility due to cost, location and limited available hours. We started ConnectMed to help solve these challenges and make healthcare delivery truly scalable,” Chief Medical Officer Dr. Fibian Nyorita said during the launch.

The company will soon roll out physical hubs in pharmacies, cyber cafes and the like, where patients without appropriate technology can access the service on ConnectMed computers.

“Our doctors are passionate about harnessing technology to increase access to healthcare. They’ve all gone through an extensive training process and received their degrees from top Kenyan medical schools,”concluded Dr. Nyorita.

ConnectMed is offering a free first consult to patients for a limited time to allow Kenyans to see the value of the service for themselves.