Cebu teams propose healthcare solutions

ONE team wants to help medical students in financial difficulties finish their studies and become physicians.

Another proposes an electronic system of medicine prescription that lessens errors in interpretation.

Medifund founder Jossy Onwude and PinoyRX presented the healthcare-related technology solutions during the Social Innovation Camp Asia 2013 held recently in Cebu.

Onwude, a Nigerian who is studying medicine in Cebu, said African patients account for 24 percent of people suffering from diseases worldwide but are served by only two percent of the world’s physicians.

Medifund’s solution is a global platform that allows students studying to be doctors and facing financial difficulties to ask people to help them pay their school fees.

Medifund launched its web-based platform last Oct. 28 so students can register and submit videos appealing to prospective donors for help.

PinoyRX, on the other hand, cited cases where doctor prescriptions were misinterpreted by pharmacists, resulting to patients getting more ill.

In one case, a woman suffering from arterial blockage lost her leg because the pharmacist misread the physician’s directive to “resume Heparin” as “remove Heparin.”

Alexis Lugie Nonesa of the PinoyRX team said the first version of their technology product is a website that doctors can use for free. When physicians prescribe medicine, they can log on to the site, key in patient details, and print a copy. A second version will be a mobile application.

Jonas Kee Quilantang said that aside from a printed version, the prescription can also be sent to patients through e-mail or text. A printed copy of a prescription is necessary because a doctor’s signature is needed before pharmacies can dispense medicine.

Organized by Access Health and UP-Cebu InIT, the SI Camp Cebu aimed to support startups that are focused on building and developing mobile and web solutions to augment the healthcare industry.

The Manila camp organized by WebGeek Philippines was held last September. Both Manila and Cebu camps were supported by Smart Communications Inc.

Four other finalists will make their pitch during the second half of the Cebu camp scheduled this month in Manila after the 7.2-magnitude earthquake in Bohol disrupted the event schedule. The winners of SI Camp will be announced after the second leg in Ateneo de Manila University on Nov. 15-17.