• Tanzanian physician and entrepreneur Ali Khatau co-founded LyfPlus in 2022 to help hospitals and clinics deliver telemedicine services.

• The platform combines remote consultations, e-prescriptions, pharmacy management, digital patient records and appointment scheduling into a single system.

• Khatau previously founded DarEquip, ElimuTanzania and the SukariCare Foundation, while building a medical career in Tanzania's healthcare sector.

Tanzanian physician and serial entrepreneur Ali Khatau serves as co-founder and chief medical officer of LyfPlus, a health technology startup that helps local healthcare providers accelerate their digital transformation. Founded in 2022, LyfPlus enables hospitals and clinics to offer remote medical consultations through a digital platform.

The platform expands healthcare access for patients living in remote areas or facing mobility constraints by eliminating the need for long and costly journeys to healthcare facilities. Through an intuitive interface, patients schedule appointments online, consult healthcare professionals through video calls and receive digital prescriptions directly after their consultations.

Beyond telemedicine, LyfPlus integrates a pharmacy management module that allows hospitals to generate secure electronic prescriptions. Patients can then order prescribed medicines and receive home deliveries. For healthcare providers, the platform centralizes medical histories within a single shared patient record. This integrated information flow improves continuity of care and strengthens operational efficiency across medical teams.

The application also addresses overcrowded waiting rooms. Its real-time scheduling system streamlines patient queues and improves the overall experience within healthcare facilities.

Strong Academic Background and Healthcare Experience

Ali Khatau began his entrepreneurial journey in 2016 when he launched DarEquip, a medical equipment supplier, and ElimuTanzania, a secondary education platform. More recently, he founded the SukariCare Foundation in 2023 to combat diabetes. He led the organization until February 2026.

Khatau supports his entrepreneurial work with a strong academic background. He earned a medical degree from Hubert Kairuki Memorial University in Tanzania in 2019. He later completed two master's degrees in the United Kingdom in 2025: a Master's in Diabetes from the University of Wales and a Master's in International Public Health from Liverpool John Moores University.

Khatau also built extensive clinical experience before launching LyfPlus. He started his medical career as an intern at Aga Khan Hospital in Dar es Salaam before joining Apollo Medical Centre in Dar es Salaam in 2021. He served as both general practitioner and administrator at Apollo Medical Centre until 2024. Between 2022 and 2023, he also chaired the hospital's management team.

This article was initially published in French by Melchior Koba

Adapted in English by Ange J. A de Berry Quenum