Olaoluwa Olatunde and Sonia Biose (Lead writers)
Universal Health Coverage (UHC) hinges on the fundamental principle that individuals should be able to access the full range of “quality” healthcare, without suffering financial hardship. A key element of “quality healthcare” is timeliness, reducing wait times and preventing harmful delays for both patient and providers.
The typical healthcare journey of a Nigerian patient is marked by long hours spent waiting in often overcrowded hospitals with a major contributing factor being the severe shortage of healthcare workers. With an average doctor-to-patient ratio of 1:9,083 — about fifteen times higher than the WHO-recommended 1:600 — Nigerian healthcare facilities are chronically understaffed, and existing staff highly overburdened. This challenge is further compounded by the “Japa Syndrome” as skilled healthcare professionals in search of better opportunities abroad continue to leave the country.
In response to these systemic challenges, Sevens Healthcare launched KompleteCare in 2016, a telemedicine platform designed to eliminate the traditional barriers that prevent Nigerians from accessing timely, quality healthcare, by connecting patients with health experts while avoiding long waiting times.
KompleteCare offers a lifeline
According to Dr Oluwagbenga Ogunfowokan, KompleteCare’s co-founder, the platform was designed to solve the challenge of timeliness in accessing quality health care in Nigeria, which often discourages people from accessing healthcare. He said, “we noticed that patients spent several hours waiting to see a doctor, and sometimes some of them developed complications. Even when they get to see a doctor, navigating the health system could be very challenging. Because of that, many people don’t go to hospitals. Instead, they go to pharmacies, diagnostic centres or even worse, self-medicate.”
KompleteCare was built to bridge the geographical and economic barriers to accessing healthcare. Users need only a smart mobile phone to schedule appointments with independent general practitioners and specialists within or outside their region, with a consultation cost of 5,000 Naira.
When physical examinations are required following virtual consultations, KompleteCare coordinates with the hospital to complete all administrative procedures before the patient arrives.
For users like Mr Emmanuel Ezeh, who had recently relocated to Abuja, KompleteCare offered a lifeline. “I didn’t really know the area and unfortunately I fell sick one of those days,” he explained. Unsure of where to go, he turned to Google and came across the platform. “I saw that it was an online consultation platform that helps people carry out consultations with certified medical doctors. I thought that would be very nice for me instead of carrying myself down to the clinic,” he said.
The rise of telemedicine in Nigeria
Telemedicine is not new to Nigeria. The idea of using technology to bridge healthcare access has been explored for over two decades, though its widespread adoption has been gradual. In 2005, Nigeria established the Society for Telemedicine and eHealth in Nigeria (SfTeHIN). The society was created to promote the knowledge, practice and policy environment of telemedicine and eHealth solutions across the country.
However, the COVID-19 pandemic marked a turning point for telemedicine in Nigeria. Lockdown, overwhelmed hospitals, and widespread fear of in-person consultations drove a surge in the use of telemedicine platforms, bringing start-ups like KompleteCare into greater prominence.
Sharing how the pandemic helped them gain wider acceptance among patients and facilities, Oluwagbenga said “when we started in 2016, doctors did not believe in telemedicine. They felt a proper diagnosis could not happen without physical examination. That changed during COVID-19, when contact was minimised, but care was still needed.”
In March 2024, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare launched the Nigeria Digital in Health Initiative (NDHI), to enhance accessibility, availability, efficiency, and quality of healthcare services across the nation.
NDHI envisions transforming this landscape by empowering every Nigerian and their healthcare providers with seamless digital access to their personal health information, irrespective of geographic location or socioeconomic status.
Ensuring quality care
KompleteCare now connects a network of nearly 1,000 doctors across various specialities such as family medicine, cardiology, dermatology, nephrology, with over 8,000 users. Beyond consultations, the platform features an integrated Electronic Medical Record (EMR) System that allows doctors to document consultations with patients, prescribe medications and refer the patients for further investigations where necessary.
To ensure the credibility of healthcare providers, KompleteCare conducts a rigorous verification process for healthcare providers. All providers are mandated to upload their undergraduate certificates, current Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) licences and full membership credentials.
Each application undergoes verification against the MDCN registry with approval typically completed within 48–72 hours. This thorough vetting process ensures that only qualified, licensed professionals provide care through the platform. In addition, the platform maintains compliance with the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR) through encrypted data storage, three-factor authentication and confidentiality agreements.
Dr Pemi Mayowa Daniel, a chief consultant family physician with five years of experience on the KompleteCare platform, alluded to the comprehensive verification process and the platform’s network of seasoned specialists offering quality medical care at affordable cost. “KompleteCare has a vast network of specialists in various fields, and the platform seamlessly connects patients with the relevant specialists at a very low cost,” he said.
Patients echo this sense of quality. Ezeh described his first consultation: “The doctor asked me about my symptoms, uploaded my diagnosis into the system, and gave me some initial advice while arranging tests. For a Nigerian platform to be that diligent and straightforward, I always give them a five-star rating,” he explained.
Health insurance integration and management
While KompleteCare has built a trusted quality assurance system, the question of affordability and sustained access remains critical. Many patients still have to pay out of pocket because the current health insurance framework under the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) Act, 2022 lacks standardised mechanisms for claims and reimbursement that adequately address the complex nature of telemedicine consultations. As a result, many virtual consultations fall outside insurance coverage, leaving patients to pay out of pocket.
While the Act empowers the Authority to “enforce the basic minimum package of health services” and to “promote, regulate, and integrate health insurance schemes” it does not explicitly provide for telemedicine or digital health services. Instead, the law focuses on establishing the institutional framework, funding mechanisms and broad principles for health insurance coverage. The absence of clear guidance on telemedicine has been a major setback for digital health organisations in Nigeria, limiting their ability to deliver insured services.
Recognising this bottleneck, KompleteCare took a major step by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Healthcare Providers Association of Nigeria (HCPAN) and the Health Maintenance Association of Nigeria (IMCAN).
Through this partnership, KompleteCare introduced a centralised claims and authorisation system that enables patients under insurance schemes to seamlessly access care via its platform through the auto-generation of approval codes within seconds, as opposed to the traditional process where patients often waited hours for authorisation.
This innovation also guarantees timely and adequate reimbursement for healthcare providers delivering services under insurance schemes. With this approach, KompleteCare has become one of the few telemedicine organisations in Nigeria successfully integrating health insurance into its platform.
Limits of telemedicine in Nigeria
Telemedicine in Nigeria holds great promise but faces systemic challenges that must be addressed through targeted reforms and investments. Many older citizens and rural dwellers struggle with smartphones and digital platforms, limiting access to virtual care. telemedicine use.
Secondly, while mobile penetration is high, reliable internet connectivity remains inconsistent, particularly in underserved regions.
The NHIA Act of 2022 also does not explicitly address telemedicine, leaving many consultations outside insurance coverage and forcing patients to pay out of pocket. Updating the Act to clearly define telemedicine services, claims, and reimbursement procedures would reduce financial barriers for patients and ensure fair provider compensation.
Oluwagbenga envisions a future where more Nigerians embrace telemedicine, not as a replacement to traditional face-to-face patient-provider interactions but as an innovation that complements them. “Just like Fintech changed how we bank, at KompleteCare, we believe that telemedicine will become as ubiquitous as social media within the next 10–15 years,” he said.
The vision, however, extends beyond Nigeria. KompleteCare has already scaled to all Nigerian states and aims to become Africa’s leading telemedicine provider within the next 10 years.