#BellaNaijaMCM Dr. Debo Odulana of Doctoora is Making Healthcare Delivery Easier in Africa

For our #BellaNaijaMCM feature this week, we celebrate and shine the spotlight on Dr. Debo Odulana, the founder of Doctoora Health, a patient-centered healthcare platform that aggregates spare/underutilised capacity in existing medical facilities such that: local healthcare professionals can rent spaces to attend to patients on a pay per use basis across multiple locations; foreign based professionals can schedule clinical visits in Nigeria without incurring facility setup costs; and patients get world class treatment at more affordable rates without leaving the country.

The infrastructure as a service company in healthcare is also providing a virtual private practice solution to health professionals, allowing them to start and manage their practice with ease. This way, its online marketplace offers health consumers access to on demand care from its vetted network of health professionals and a library of health information content.

Returning to Nigeria after his studies, Debo wanted to pursue a career as a neo-natal surgeon. He realised that only a few neo-natal surgeries are happening in Nigeria of which many Nigerians cannot afford. He then started working at a hospital in Lagos, but became more interested in stepping out of clinical practice, to do other impactful work in the industry.

 

Debo decided to start Doctoora after observing three things from the hospital he worked at after returning to Nigeria: the hospital did not keep top consultants or surgeons in their payroll – they were only invited on per case basis; the hospital had more bed spaces and consulting rooms than the number of patients as opposed to other hospitals, especially government-owned hospitals; and the long waiting time for patients before they could see a doctor. 

 

Debo set up the first Doctoora centre in his 2-bedroom apartment in the Opebi, Ikeja area of Lagos state. And after being turned down by hospitals and investors, Debo’s uncle helped him and his team and they set up a second centre in a 6-bedroom duplex that was unused by said uncle.

Since then, Debo’s Doctoora has received $5,000 from the Tony Elumelu Foundation as part of the Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Programme, gotten into a German accelerator and raised $35,000 from from Co-Creation Hub in Lagos, and raised another 4 million Naira from family and friends. Today, Doctoora has centres across Lagos, Ibadan, and Abuja, Nigeria.

Doctoora’s mission is simple: To create healthier communities in Africa, by connecting healthcare consumers and professionals to quality healthcare experiences.

Debo bagged his MBBS from the University of Sharjah and holds a masters degree in International Health Management from Imperial College Business School.

Apart from his extensive work in healthcare across Nigeria and the UK, Debo has also worked as a management consultant, business development executive as well as marketing in the music industry.

We celebrate Debo for providing a healthcare solution that helps patients access professionals without travelling far away from their communities while helping professionals reach their clients anywhere they are without incurring huge setup costs.

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source https://www.bellanaija.com/2020/12/bellanaijamcm-debo-odulana-of-doctoora-is-making-healthcare-delivery-easier-in-africa/