When medical advice in Nigeria often requires hours waiting in crowded clinic corridors, a new startup is betting that the fastest route to a physician runs through an app millions already open before getting out of bed.

Lihaxa, a Lagos-based health-tech venture, rolled out an artificial intelligence tool on Sept. 1 that lets patients type their symptoms into WhatsApp, receive immediate guidance, and hand the conversation over to a licensed doctor without switching screens.

The software, named Ally, acts as an automated front desk. It talks users through what hurts, flags warning signs, and decides whether a situation calls for basic home care or an actual prescription. If the case looks serious, the program routes the patient straight into CareNet, the company’s roster of on-call clinicians.

Crucially, the doctor steps in with the entire chat history already on screen, cutting out the exhausting ritual of repeating symptoms from scratch.

“Healthcare access should not begin with navigating a complicated system,” said Oluwapelumi Oyeleye, founder and chief executive officer of Lihaxa. “If people can already have everyday conversations on WhatsApp, they should be able to start their healthcare journey there too.”

Expanding vital healthcare access across Nigeria

That familiar interface addresses a persistent bottleneck across Nigeria, where public hospitals face chronic doctor shortages and private clinics price out average earners. Rather than rolling out a bloated hospital management suite, Lihaxa is keeping its early footprint narrow.

“We are not trying to build the entire healthcare system on day one,” Oyeleye said. “We are starting with the point where people struggle most — knowing what to do when they have a health concern and getting to the right care quickly — and building outward from there.”

Within days of going live, the system logged roughly 100 patient interactions and handled more than 50 triage sessions. Those early chats provide the baseline data Lihaxa needs to test whether its algorithm can safely separate routine aches from emergencies that demand human hands.

Lihaxa adds CareWallet chat payment system

Beyond initial consultations, the company is preparing CareWallet, an in-chat billing feature backed by local banking partners to help patients settle fees for follow-ups and tests. Over time, management plans to plug diagnostic labs and retail pharmacies directly into the chat flow.

Lihaxa does not pitch itself as a health maintenance organization or a digital hospital. Instead, it operates as the digital plumbing connecting patients to existing clinics. While its focus remains on proving the model on home soil, executives see the framework translating to other African markets wrestling with the same shortage of clinical care.