Deposit before Treatment: The Initiative Standing in the Gap for Cashless Patients

In collaboration with Intuitive Health, UF Health has opened three centers that offer both ER and urgent care 24/7, at the same facility so patients don’t have to decide themselves which care they need. Instead, doctors at the center make that decision and then the system bills the patient accordingly. This helps them avoid taking on expensive ER bills when that level of care may not have been necessary.

In 2020, Nigeria's Rural Electrification Agency installed a 50-kilowatt solar-hybrid system at Gombe State Specialist Hospital, providing uninterrupted electricity to critical units, including the ICU and emergency departments. Since its installation, maternal mortality dropped from 15-20 deaths monthly to 1-2 per month, and neonatal deaths also decreased from 50 to 20-25 monthly. The system has also helped healthcare workers perform life-saving surgeries without interruption, as these surgeries were often delayed or impossible due to power outages.

Since June 2024, Nigeria's National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has implemented a comprehensive fistula intervention program that fully covers transportation, surgery, feeding, post-operative care and follow-up services at no cost to patients. In Kano State alone, 2,157 women have received treatment through the intervention, with facilities handling 30-50 patients monthly, a significant increase from pre-program levels.

The University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital Foundation’s Indigent Patient Fund helps patients who can’t afford care using a verification system to identify financially vulnerable patients, then settles their hospital bills and covers essential treatments. Since its launch, the program has mobilized over ₦28 million to support 77+ patients who were stuck in hospital wards because they couldn't pay. Over the years, the Foundation has also evolved its model to provide one-year health insurance for those with chronic conditions.

Enugu State is addressing healthcare access gaps and high maternal mortality by establishing 260 Type 2 Primary Healthcare Centers, with 100 already completed. These fully-equipped facilities provide 24-hour care with essential medications and reliable utilities. As part of the initiative, the Centers are also recruiting 2,200 healthcare workers, training over 1,800 staff members in safe delivery and contraceptive methods, introducing AI-assisted ultrasound screening and implementing affordable health insurance. Since opening in March 2025, one center alone has served over 690 people.

Eight Medical is a technology-driven emergency medical service that uses real-time communication systems to deliver ambulance services within 10 minutes or less. The service has 45 control center staff, over 400 field personnel, and over 25 ambulances, and operates under a “care now, pay later” scheme, making emergency healthcare more affordable. Since launching, it has received over 15,000 calls and saved about 8,000 lives by providing fast, life-saving care.

The Anambra state government’s Antenatal and Delivery Program mandates government-owned hospitals and Primary Healthcare Centers (PHCs) to offer free antenatal care and delivery services, to close the gap in care and curb maternal mortality rates. The program has helped strengthen the maternal care capacity at 329 PHCs throughout the state and has served over 60,000 women.

The Safer Hands Health Initiative (SHI) aims to reduce maternal mortality across the country by educating and empowering birth attendants, healthcare centers and pregnant women to use safe delivery practices. SHI partners with medical boards and area hospitals to provide free training for birth attendants and also provides sterile birthing kits to expectant mothers. So far, SHI has trained over 200 birth attendants and has distributed more than 10,000 birthing kits.

Emergency Response Africa connects patients with first responders, ambulances and emergency-ready hospitals so they can get the care they need as quickly as possible. A 24-hour command center that can be reached by phone or mobile app dispatches the emergency response team of trained paramedics, which then brings the patient to one of the 82 verified emergency hospitals. Since it was established in 2021, Emergency Response Africa has received 1,243 emergency calls.

High-tech drones from the organization Zipline are delivering medical supplies — from vaccinations to blood and other necessary equipment — to hospitals in traditionally hard to reach areas. The drones can make an hour long trip in 10 to 30 minutes, making the delivery service a valuable tool in emergency situations.