Driven by a personal tragedy, a tech entrepreneur founded Eight Medical to revolutionize emergency healthcare. After losing two close family members because they didn't get to the hospital fast enough, he decided to take action and improve the system.

Eight Medical is a Nigerian e-health startup that enables users to access emergency healthcare through its web and mobile platforms. Founded in 2021 by Ibukun Tunde-Oni, the startup is based in Lekki.

The solution includes a mobile application available on both iOS and Android. After downloading the app, users can sign up and access all the services offered by the startup through a subscription. This subscription ensures rapid care in case of emergencies; otherwise, users will have to pay for the service when utilizing the healthtech.

In medical emergencies such as illness, traffic accidents, or other incidents, Eight Medical positions itself as the "911 for Africa." Users can either call their service or press the emergency button in the mobile app. Once the request is sent, they respond within 25 minutes or less to transport the patient to the hospital.

To achieve this, the healthtech has a fleet of ambulances, vehicles, and motorcycles to navigate the traffic congestion in Nigeria's major cities. Besides emergency responses, the startup offers first aid services at events, non-emergency ambulance transportation, and aeromedical evacuation.

Since its launch, Eight Medical has handled over 12,705 calls, with an average response time of ten minutes. Earlier this month, it was selected as a finalist in the Pitch2Win competition, along with 14 other Nigerian startups, with a prize of $10,000.

Adoni Conrad Quenum