E-commerce firm, Jumia, is set to launch an e-doctor service that will allow Nigerians to access doctors remotely for a $1 monthly subscription.
To achieve this, the company, through its fintech arm, JumiaPay, is working with the Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP), a global partnership of more than 30 leading development organizations focused on financial inclusion to improve the lives of lower-income populations.
JumiaPay is also partnering with a service provider, Meeting Doctor, to deliver this service. According to the company, Nigerians will be able to access this service through the JumiaPay app.
This service will be riding on Nigeria’s robust mobile internet penetration. According to Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), subscriptions for Internet in the country stood at 148 million as of April this year.
What they are saying
- Disclosing this in its Q1 2022 financial results presentation, Jumia said: “The objective of this service is to help workers, sellers, and consumers in general access doctors remotely for a monthly subscription fee of around $1.”
- “The experiment will help validate the value delivered to our customers and workers and identify a sustainable model to achieve this,” it added.
- The initiative is in sync with the new government’s policy on healthcare for the poor and vulnerable in the country.
- President Muhammadu Buhari last month signed into law a National Health Insurance Authority Bill 2022. The law is expected to cover about 83 million poor Nigerians who cannot afford to pay the health insurance premium
- The government said that a Vulnerable Group Fund would be set up to include a component of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund due to the authority, Health Insurance levy, Special Intervention fund, and any investment proceeds, donations, and gifts to authorities.
