African Antecedent.
Let’s face it, as Africans, and especially Nigerians, we have grown to be a cautious set of people. If it were cautiousness that helps us achieve results with a high degree of efficiency, it would have been better.
Sadly, it’s the cautiousness that stems from fear – fear of the unknown, fear of harm etc. We are seeing an African society growing gradually apart and embracing individualistic lifestyles. That’s why essentially, we second guess many things in a bid not to fall, victim.
The gross anti communalism we are witnessing today in Nigerian/African society is a far cry from what it used to be in the past, where everyone looked out for their neighbours.
To paint a more precise picture of the ancient African communal lifestyle vis-à-vis where we are today, here is an excerpt from philosopher Polycarp Ikuenobe in a Wikipedia article, “Ikuenobe argues that, “African communalism does not necessarily see a conflict between individuals and community; they are mutually supportive, and people are required to have the moral attitude of contributing to the community for their own well-being…”
Putting it more straightforward, they lived a closed-knit life – looking out for each one another.
So, if CribMD says you could sit at the comfort of your home and request for a Doctor to come to see you in your home or office, it is understandable if you are not moved or impressed, or you choose to second guess.
Possible Reactions
“Abeg! Forget that thing, naa 9ja we dey.”
“Omoo, I no trust this people oo. How I sure sey this Doctor no be scam.” etc.
…and a plethora of comments might be seen on app store reviews or social media comment sections.
We get it. Your fears are valid. With the constant insecurity we are exposed to when we step out of our homes, little wonder many have resulted to live by vibes and Insha Allah.
Some others result in taking refuge in the prayers of their parents, and you hear statements like “omoo, naa my Mama prayer dey save me oo.”
To put it simply, we are a people always on the edge.
Achieving and retaining the trust of users on the CribMD platform is a top priority for us. As a result, we have set up a verification process via the app (mobile or web) that would help ward off fraudsters.
A Typical Story
Let’s pick up a model scenario.
Say, Miss Janet Okafor; a CribMD subscriber requests the services of Dr Michael.
How do both parties ensure that they are safe and discussions kept for their ears only?
Simple!
Once the house call session is booked, and the Doctor is en route to her destination, here is what she sees on her screen:
The Doctor also sees the same set of codes on his phone, and with it, he gets to verify the patient too.
Now, here is an exciting feature, the code refreshes every 5secs. This feature will prevent any 3rd party from getting access to the code in real-time.
So, suppose Doctor Michael decides to give the code to a 3rd party to handle the consultation session or “cover-up for him”. In that case, the error will be detected at the point of confirmation by Janet, and she can trigger a panic alert on the app that would notify us of any inconveniences.
The same also applies to the Doctor’s safety. The code would help him/her greenlight or flag the consultation session.
Improving what we have now is essential, and we are keen on the issues bordering on safety and privacy. So, we will keep iterating and pushing out new versions to make Doctor House Call safe and stay one step ahead of the bad guys.
The problem is that majority of Africans are yet to come to the realisation that life is turning digital. They rely heavily on traditional means and the essence of prayer.