Denovo Health Rides

Shamsuddeen Yusuf Ma'aruf Yusuf is a trained Medical Laboratory Scientist, holds Postgraduate diploma of Education from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Leadership in Health Management with eDGH of University of Washington and currently pursuing Project Management in Global Health with same university potential Master student with BUK. I hold several awards likes BrainBox, First Histopathology Majored with First Class Honours in Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, particpated in different competitions in undergraduate years, holds several certificates likes Disease Outbreak in LMIC by LSHTM, Strengthening Interprofessional Relationship by AFREHealth, Supply Chain Management, Quality Management System, Reading Financial Statement, WASH, 3rd Position in Hack The Crisis, Nigeria Hackathon, made it to the 100 list of AfricaVsVirus Ideathon.

Currently a Per-time Lecturer to Medical laboratory Technician, A servant leader and Current 1st Programme Coordinator of Forum For Reviving Education; a Community service organization and an SME (clothes retailers) enterpreneur.

Denovo Health Rides objectives are in line with Goals, 3, 8 and 17 of the SDGs. Denovo Health Rides is a logistic based solution that target primarily the most vulnerable population (rural and remotes areas). The project permit access to health information, quality medical laboratory service, promote use of digital technology which have become difficult to access because of the unsocial terrain, limited facilities or infrastructure, inaccessibility to social media or digital technology. Currently Africa is experiencing community transmission of COViD-19 Pandemic which have keep on rising faster at the community level because of limited knowledge and inaccessibility to testing facilities and technology. 

Denovo Health Rides will not only help to battle the current pandemic but also infections and next pandemic and also improve the security of health delivery as demonstrated by the President of WHO that "Testing, Testing and Testing" is the key to tackling the pandemic.

Some of the world's highest rates of diseases are found in Africa, particularly among children, and it's not just because of the warm, humid climate. The highest rates are in the countries of Sub-Saharan Africa, where, according to the World Health Organization, almost 62% of deaths are a result of communicable diseases, nutritional problems, and perinatal/maternal issues.

What this means is that most deaths in Africa are actually preventable. The cures or preventative measures exist, but they aren't being applied due to poverty, inaccessibility and other factors preventing public health especially the remote areas that have the least quality medical laboratory service.

Infections and Pandemic recently have become a menace in the world e.g. COVID-19. And most Africa countries are trying to survive through numbers of insecurities.

The right to test results from labs within hospitals, other health care facilities and physician offices has already been in place under HIPAA and NHA. Also the unfortunate recent outbreaks have made a called and promote virtual meeting and Telemedicine service in health delivery. DHR uses logistics and developing bio-metrics and digital technology to implement the following strategic solutions to the aforementioned problems;

1. Connecting patient in need of medical laboratory service with quality facilities from there comfort zones with transport or infrastructure limitations using logistics and vehicles. Creating a Laboratory referral network.

2. Survey and discovery of blood donations from available facilities to the needing facilities. Maintaining or establishing a network of blood banks

3. Creating a platform that permit access to digital patients medical information at there comfort zones. Promoting Telemedicine in Africa.

Our service will also provide employment opportunities to the remote populations and tackle many cause of disease and mortality rate that are preventable and saving many lives.

The project target primarily the most vulnerable population (remote and rural areas) and other population, peculiarly patients who are in dire need of medical laboratory investigation both sick and well-individuals. Currently we used Middleman opinion to understand the needs of most of sick-individuals by meeting  and asking the of the needs of the patients from the hospital/clinic management, physician and medical laboratory personnel whose custody the patient is. While the well-individuals are those individuals that samples are collected from there comfort zones (home or offices).

DHR service will permit access to any laboratory investigation which will be used in the treatment and management of the individuals and also access to quick blood donations and derivatives which will save lot of lives.

DHR project is to drive solution to improve health diagnostic value. Inaccessibility to quality medical laboratory investigation; most remotes areas are disconnected from quality laboratory service. But with the use of logistics vehicles, DHR is ready to connect patients with quality and reliable laboratory service. Manual used capturing of patient information have proved inconvenience for patients and hospital system, but with DHR intended digital access to patient information it will improve convenience and turnaround time and this might be the first tele-Lab in Nigeria. Also DHR is ready to contribute to response to any infection or next pandemic and epidemics.

As an intern, Medical laboratory Scientist in Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital Zaria in 2019. I had an experience with a patient's relative who came all the way from Kaduna with a hysterectomy specimen. He sat down worried and disturbed. I tapped his shoulder and ask what was wrong. He told me, have been coming to the laboratory from Kaduna for 4 days to obtain the results, but to no avail. I took it on myself that he should go home and that I will follow it up and anything it is ready I will call him. That day I was in thoughts of how can such incidence experience by the patient relative's be avoided. That's how this idea was born. Unfortunately due to the Pandemic, it is obvious there's limited laboratory service (testing areas) in Nigeria and Africa at large. This further motivate the idea that there's need to create a network/referral service that respond quickly to this problem.

Along also, after the creation of our team, we discuss and thought much on how to improve social distance, that's when we thought of home-laboratory service and also an access to digital laboratory which will be ka revolution in tele-medicine

Nigeria and Africa at large are part of my traits and my objectives is to create a healthy environment. My experience with a patient as previously mentioned and other patients with the also quest to support in tackling any infection or pandemic and next.

My personal objectives and goal are quality health delivery and quality education and girl's child right to education. My journey towards personnel development have push me more towards attaining my first objectives as Quality Health Care Advocate. I hold a Bachelor Degree in Medical Laboratory Science, Certificates in Leadership in Health Management, Disease outbreaks in LMIC, Strengthening inter professional relationship in health sector, quality management system, pursing Project management in Global health and prospective Master Degree student of Medical laboratory Science. Per-experience, am 2 year experienced Staff and lecturer of Medical laboratory related services.

Also my recent participation in the MIT Virtual Solveathon have made me understand the importance of addressing this problem and also refined my solutions.

During project testing. I had the difficulty of convincing some Medical diagnostic testing center to partner with me and the reason for the difficulty was due to NHA guidelines (confidentiality of patient details). I was able to persevered partially by applying for business registration and currently working for Ministry of Health consent/license.

Currently am a Per-time Tutor who have teach, supervised and invigilate several students with a College of Health Science and Technology and also am the current Programme Coordinator of Forum For Reviving Education; a community service organization, coordinated an outreach to 2 States (Katsina and Kaduna) primary and secondary schools were we delivered writting materials, school uniform, reading materials and deliver career guidance. I have hold several leadership positions likes is Publication Manager, Academic Director, Education and Research Committee Chairman, HealthWeek Coordinator, and other several positions.And have authored 2-3 individual and peer-publications.

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Health logistics is not a new market, currently Denovo Health Rides utilized logistics to tackle inaccessibility to medical laboratory testing facilities. Our still on due process website platform will be the first platform that provides data of medical laboratory facilities, management and accreditation, laboratory investigation data and laboratory testing reports which can be accessed by authorized government agencies, hospitals, physician and patients using bio-metrics and identifications which can be used in decision-making and strategic response to infections and pandemics. So we are still in sketching of the said platform and needs digital technology expertise to guide the platform building. This will improve access to, promote quality assurance, verification and validation and improve diagnostic value in the health system. Denovo vision also intend to use drones for delivery, which will support scalability and quick and systematic area coverage.

Added to above mentioned, Confidentiality, privacy, quality and reilability will be a dearest feature of Denovo Health Rides which will comply with HIPAA and NHA through effective cold chain service. And future production of sample transporting medium which will support the venture financial sustainability. 

Theory of Change of Denovo Health Rides is to provide access to reliable medical laboratory testing facilities and improve medical testing especially remotes and rural population that are disconnected from quality laboratory testing in Africa. 

The short-outcome of Denovo Health Rides is to promote definitive therapy by physician, quality of laboratory facilities and validation of equipment,  laboratory data, promote social distancing, reduce nosocomial infection and pandemics, and reduce unnecessary visits to laboratory testing facilities.

And the long-term outcome is a healthy environment, employment opportunities, patient and hospital convenience and access to medical details and improved medical testing facilities, promote trust and assurance in medical laboratory testing and reports and provide data in public health/Epidemiological decision-making.

Currently serving few people. Before end of this year, will be serving most of North-western Nigeria Population. And in the next 5 years will be serving some of Sub-Saharan and West-Africa population

Created the proposed platform before end of 2020

Scaled to other States in Nigeria before end of first year.

Maintain financial sustainability by second year.

By year five, Expecting to expand network to other African countries and scale to used of drones.

Our most barrier political constraints which have limit incorporation of venture and movements. Another barriers to the success of Denovo Health Rides Solution is financial constraint with competitors both local and foreign with capitals who are ready to scale up into available markets. Also Denovo Health Rides requires understanding of corporate partnership with public and private facilities and business development.

Denovo Health Rides is currently some of these barriers by engaging in challenge-solving hackathons. Which help redefine, and establish networks as well as contacts of other ventures, expertise in partnership corporation and business development like the Departments of MIT or SOLVE. Denovo is currently have a group of mentors that are expertise in public health, supply chain management and programming tools.  DHR also plan on pursing funding sources to help scale of the concept.

Denovo Health Rides (DHR) currently partnered but not documented with two public and government hospitals with laboratory testing facilities and 1 private diagnostic facility, DHR deliver patients sample for laboratory investigation to them. DHR are currently trying to reach out to the Katsina State Ministry of Health.

Denovo Health Rides is Meta-logistics service built based on 2-way flow new model. It involve the referral of samples for laboratory investigation and also delivery of laboratory reports to the point of origin/request in-person or digital.

Denovo Health Rides will charge for services provided through MoU with partners. Denovo Health Rides will expand service using paradigm of distribution by creating series of strategically located centers and the cost of logistics will be determine using a cost-per-kilometre assessment, base on key performance indicators (distance, turnaround time, number of samples/pint of blood, logistics information services, logistics additional service and supplementary additional services. 

Denovo Health Rides will train all staff in necessary skills needed and will be encourage to pursue personnel development. Technical staffs will be are trained on phlebotomy, conditions of samples in transit, GPS usage, documentation and DHR platforms usage. The cost of training will be minimized by employing community health workers, medical laboratory technician or medical laboratory assistance who are bit familiars with sample collection. Riders’ systems and procedures when hired and are encouraged to expand their technical skills through ongoing training.

Denovo Health Rides is a Hybrid organization and will expand service to other states with current country, other countries in Africa and out of Africa. Denovo Health Rides will Achieve financial sustainability on donations and selling of services.

Added to the primary service value of Denovo Health Rides, data that will be generated which includes but not limited to data of up-to standard laboratories, medical information's, blood banks data, validated laboratory materials, numbers of registered medical laboratories, laboratory investigations (list) data can be sold to authorized stakeholders, health ministries, researchers, students and other agencies. As data will be secure and protected according to NHA and HIPAA, so Denovo Health Rides will be positioned to gain public trust by working with Government agencies

Beyond to logistics, Denovo Health Rides focused on financial stability and sustainability planned to be manufacturing media or subordinates service/agents needed in transporting samples in the right conditions. And creating a network of voluntary donors (as recommended by WHO) which will be supported by external donors. Also Logistics market which previous year have shown $75 billion value market and Tele-health service that it needs have recently up-shoot, placed Denovo Health Rides in a space for economical sustainability.

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We hope to raise funds for the solution before the end of year 2020 considering the impact of the Pandemic and security issue. Also base on the recent economical changes, we are hoping to raise $50,000 from grants or equity funds.

It is unfortunate that Naira currently is 450 to 1 dollar. But our initial budget is $30,000 for platform development, set-up, staffing and deployment (cost of service and direct labour cost) for the first six month projecting to start in Katsina State. Further expenses will be affected by the volatility in market and market needs.

We are applying for Elevate Prize for the chance to win financial funding which will help beat financial constraints or weakness that the solution is wrestling. We are also applying to have access to MIT networks or other MIT Solve Teams with different caliber of intelligent. In Denovo Health Rides, we believe MIT Solve is the avenue that will grant us access to expertise in business monitoring and evaluation, solutions technology, legal and regulatory matter, securing corporate partnership, financial modeling and marketing strategy. We also believe winning MIT solve will improve the profile and press presence of the solution.

Denovo Health Rides seek support and mentor-ship in the above selected relevant areas like business model, advisors, marketing, media and eposure, legal matters, staffing, service paradigm distribution and partnership with solution technologies.

Partnership with Ministries of Health will support the solution in gaining the trust of the public and market presence of the solution. Also partnership with MIT Solve will help the solution stay connected with other potentials partnership which can contribute to the goals of Denovo Health Rides. Partnership with the likes of NASA will help in scalability to drone technology, Google, Vehicles companies and some tele-medicine platform (e.g. KANGPE HEALTH) to improve health care delivery.