SA healthtech startup launches platform for African nurses 

Johannesburg-based healthtech startup Patient Health (Pty) Ltd has launched Afrinurse, a new platform that supports and connects nurses across Africa. 

Healthtech startup launches innovative new platform dedicated to African nurses

Sylvester Msuthwana, founder of Patient Health explains that the platform aims to uplift and empower nurses in Africa. 

“With this platform, we take care of the overall wellness of nurses, mentally, physically, and financially, by giving them an easy and secure platform to access verified professionals online. We also empower nurses by giving them access to practical, verified information while virtually connecting them to each other.”

Afrinurse

Afrinurse is a digital platform that provides nurses in Africa with access to mental health tools supplemented by a booking portal that connects nurses to psychologists and other healthcare professionals online.

In addition, Afrinurse has an educational element to it as nurses are able to access informational videos which provide insight into the management of infections, symptoms, vaccinations, and other relevant healthcare topics. 

Afrinurse is also home to a built-in job board, where nurses can find jobs and also post their availability to work. A financial advisory feature is available on the platform and provides users with access to financial advisors and debt managers. 

Msuthwana points out that Afrinurse has even more features.

“With the ‘Nurse Hero’ feature, first-time nurses can be celebrated for excellent service by patients and doctors through a rating and rewards system. Nurses can communicate with one another with the ‘Ask a nurse’ function to transfer knowledge and skills to other nurses across Africa.

With the global pandemic impacting the global healthcare sector, nurses have been labelled as the unsung heroes of the medical sector with many working overtime to save lives. Afrunurse aims to provide the much-needed support that these brave and hard-working individuals require.

According to reports, the International Council of Nurses (ICN) has estimated that the global pandemic affected nurses and resulted in significant staff shortages. In addition, the ageing of the nursing workforce, combined with declining population growth worldwide, could lead to a potential shortfall of up to 13 million nurses by 2031.

“Now, more than ever is the time to stand together and work towards the greater good of our country and Africa as a whole. We salute our nurses and thank them for what they have done and continue to do for us. We hope that our platform can be of assistance and support to all nurses,” Msuthwana concludes.

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Featured image: Hush Naidoo via Unsplash