Doctoora’s plan for affordable healthcare in Nigeria
Teleconsultation. Source: National Cancer Institute via Unsplash

Sometime in May, I fell very ill. 

In normal circumstances, I would have gone to a hospital to run some tests and get medication, but May 2020 was far from normal. Nigeria was under a nationwide lockdown, and although hospitals were open for emergency visits, making the trip would have been complicated. 

First, I do not have a car, and the taxis I would typically use—Uber and Bolt—were temporarily inoperational. Yet, the more pressing concern was the viral pandemic that had triggered the lockdown. Quite frankly, the fear of being exposed to the coronavirus trumped the discomfort caused by my illness. I had heard of doctors offering teleconsultation services over the phone, so I opted to try those instead. After a quick Google search, I stumbled across the Doctoora website. 

Still slightly unsure, I created an account, selected a doctor, and paid ₦5,000 for the consultation. Two hours later, I

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Gbemisola Alonge

Gbemisola Alonge

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