What is the name of your organization?
Newdigit
What is the name of your solution?
Just Add Water Healthcare
Provide a one-line summary or tagline for your solution.
Providing electricity, clean water and medical grade oxygen gas through the recycling of dirty gray water to deionized water.
In what city, town, or region is your solution team headquartered?
Lagos, Nigeria
In what country is your solution team headquartered?
Nigeria
What type of organization is your solution team?
For-profit, including B-Corp or similar models
Film your elevator pitch.
What specific problem are you solving?
As of December 2021 Nigeria had about 40,017 operational hospitals and clinics throughout its 36 states. The hospitals encounter major obstacles in providing quality healthcare because of unstable electricity supplies, alongside inadequate medical oxygen provision and limited access to clean water. 70% percent of Nigerian healthcare facilities have unreliable electricity supply which disrupts crucial medical operations including surgeries and neonatal care. Energy deficits lead to higher mortality rates because hospitals lack the power needed to operate essential medical equipment during blackouts.
The limited availability of medical oxygen represents an additional critical problem. Research indicates that only 43.8% of Nigerian hospitals possess a stable oxygen supply while fewer than 35% can access oxygen cylinders and the required support equipment. Even though there have been initiatives to boost medical oxygen supply in Nigeria significant deficiencies still exist which hinders emergency respiratory support throughout crises and pandemics.
The healthcare system in Nigeria struggles to deliver effective medical services to millions of people because of pervasive critical deficiencies. We must resolve these problems to enhance health results and guarantee safe and dependable high-standard medical care delivery.
What is your solution?
Just Add Water recycles dirty gray water to generate electricity, medical-grade oxygen, and clean drinking water through the process of electrolysis, via an innovative regenerative PEM Fuelcell, designed to act as both an electrolyzer and a fuel cell, using iron composite catalysts to reduce costs and cellulose fiber to condense water vapor generated in the PEM to clean water.
HOW IT WORKS
The system uses solar panels and regenerative fuel cell technology equipped with iron nanoparticle catalysts and a self-replacing membrane mechanism. It converts dirty water into electricity, hydrogen, oxygen, and deionized water. The system operates in two modes: Forward Mode and Backward Mode.
- In Forward Mode, the solar panels and fuel cell act as an electrolyzer, converting dirty water into hydrogen and oxygen. The solar panels supply electricity to the hospital, while the oxygen is compressed into cylinders for patient life support.
- In Backward Mode, the hydrogen is converted back into electricity via the fuel cell, with the additional production of deionized water.
UNIQUENESS
Our solution is unique because it is the only system that supply electricity and medical-grade oxygen to hospital with zero cost of fuelling, zero cost of oxygen production, and its zero emission.
Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?
Our solution provides immediate support to low- and middle-income Nigerian hospitals having bed size below 100 that are coping with expensive energy bills and unreliable power supply. Millions of Nigerians receive critical medical care from these hospitals which nonetheless struggle with heavy financial and operational burdens from their dependence on diesel generators. Hospitals spend $2,750 monthly on diesel which creates unsustainable costs that cause service disruptions and lead to permanent closures. The recent removal of petrol subsidy in Nigeria caused seven hospitals to close in 2024 while 1,300 more face potential closure before 2025 ends.
Our Just Add Water system delivers a decentralized and cost-saving solution with 15kW electricity and 40 liters of medical-grade oxygen plus 22 liters of deionized water for $960 monthly. Through major reductions in operational costs we enable hospitals to operate continuously while enhancing service delivery and saving lives. Our solution eradicates dangerous emissions which supports a healthier setting for both patients and staff. Thousands of patients get emergency and life-sustaining care through the hospitals we support.
