Nexa Nurses, a Nigeria-based healthcare firm, has unveiled a mobile application designed to expand access to home-based healthcare and connect patients with qualified nursing professionals.

The app was unveiled at a healthcare summit held in Ikeja, Lagos, which brought together stakeholders in the medical sector, including certified nurses and other healthcare professionals.

Speaking at the event, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Nexa Nurses, Colin Nwude, said the platform was developed to formalise home healthcare by connecting patients with qualified and registered nurses, rather than auxiliary nurses.

Nwude said home healthcare had been taking place informally, adding that the company was seeking to make the service more professional, accessible and reliable through technology.

According to him, Nexa Nurses is a digital healthcare platform with the mission of making professional healthcare more accessible and convenient to Nigerians, while transforming the way healthcare is accessed and delivered across Africa.

He said the Nexa Nurses app, which bears the same name as the company, is scheduled for official launch on September 7 and is available on the Play Store and iOS platforms.

Nwude also highlighted security features incorporated into the platform, saying the app has an SOS system capable of tracking a nurse’s location and alerting the company in the event of an emergency or security concern.

He added that the company would engage security agencies, particularly the Nigeria Police Force, to explore partnerships that could further strengthen the safety of patients and nurses using the platform.

Also speaking at the summit, a medical practitioner, Tunji Akintade, described nursing as a profession that combines art and science, urging nurses to remain thorough, ethical and empathetic in the discharge of their duties.

Akintade said the prevailing shortage of healthcare manpower had made the initiative a “child of necessity”, noting that technology could help make healthcare more accessible while creating additional opportunities for qualified nurses.

He said the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated that some patients could receive care without necessarily visiting hospitals, adding that the platform could build on that experience by connecting patients with qualified nurses within their communities.

According to him, patients who have difficulty visiting hospitals, including those placed on daily injections, could use the platform to access nursing services closer to their homes.

Akintade stressed that only nurses with the requisite knowledge and qualifications should be engaged through the platform, describing the initiative as an opportunity that should be explored by the medical profession.

Beyond improving access to care, he said the platform could provide employment opportunities for nurses who were unable to secure placements in government healthcare facilities, allowing them to become gainfully engaged through home-based services.

He also noted that elderly people and others who experience difficulties accessing hospitals could benefit from receiving appropriate healthcare services within their communities.

However, Akintade emphasised the need for proper prescriptions for services provided by nurses, as well as digital reporting after assignments are completed, to support safe and accountable care.