New digital platform ‘PatientsReferral’ targets gaps in Nigeria’s healthcare system

She noted that patients frequently arrive at specialist hospitals without proper referral documentation, face prolonged waiting periods, and experience communication gaps between healthcare providers.

“Our platform addresses these challenges by connecting all stakeholders in one seamless ecosystem, making referrals, appointments, and prescriptions faster, smarter, and more reliable,” she said.

Dr. Mba added that the long-term goal is to position PatientsReferral as a central infrastructure for healthcare coordination across Africa, improving efficiency and patient outcomes across the continent.

“We envision a system where a patient in Lagos, Nairobi, Accra, or Kampala can be seamlessly referred to the right specialist, with their records securely transferred and their care journey fully tracked all through a single platform. Today marks the beginning of that journey,” she said.

Dr. Mba further revealed that while Nigeria serves as the launch market, the platform was designed for pan-African expansion.

“We have built the architecture, compliance framework, and business model for a continental scale. Nigeria provides the most complex testing ground. If we solve healthcare coordination here, we can solve it anywhere in Africa,” she said.

She added that the idea for the platform was inspired by his experience working as an emergency medicine physician in the United Kingdom.

“A referral that takes minutes in London can take weeks in Nigeria; not because our doctors are less skilled, but because the communication system is broken. I built PatientsReferral because I have seen what seamless healthcare looks like, and I believe every patient in Africa deserves that standard,” she said.

Co-Founder, Chukwudebe Mba, noted that while many health technology solutions focus on telemedicine or hospital management, PatientsReferral targets the critical referral and coordination stage between healthcare providers.

Chukwudebe Mba said, "We are HIPAA-compliant and built for the African context. By integrating referrals, prescriptions, appointments, and patient collaboration into one platform, we provide end-to-end coordination that sets us apart."

On the technical side, Nnamani Chijindu Ikenna disclosed that the platform was entirely conceived, designed, and developed by a Nigerian team.

“This is not an imported solution adapted for Africa; it is built by Africans who understand the challenges from within,” he said.