Doctors in the sky Nigeria is launching a satellite-linked platform to provide e-health services to more than 1.7 million people in underserved and remote areas. NIGCOMHEALTH will allow users to book appointments, seek medical advice and consult healthcare professionals from their homes, workplaces or communities, reports Space in Africa. The e-health platform is a collaboration between Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT), Canadian e-health platform provider Ethnomet and US-based digital business solutions expert Sawtrax. The goal is to onboard more than 80 federal and state-owned hospitals on the platform. Nigeria’s Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Pantami, says the platform is a ‘timely solution that could ensure the availability of quality healthcare services to all Nigerians, irrespective of their locations’. In addition, Tukur Lawal, MD of NIGCOMSAT, says the healthcare services will be affordable and inclusive, targeting even Nigerians without smartphones. 23 May 2023 Image: Unsplash