In a first for Fiji, a former student of the Fiji National University (FNU), Rakin Wahed has used his knowledge and skills to develop the Pasifika Heartbeat app, a digital health platform of valuable information that, aims to connect the public to medical professionals.
Wahed was a student at FNU’s College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences (CMNHS) and is a recipient of the Fijian Government’s Young Entrepreneurship Scheme (YES), an initiative targeting the development of young business entrepreneurs with innovative ideas.
Through YES, the Ministry of Commerce, Trade, Tourism and Transport provided financial assistance of $12,000 to Wahed which enabled him to host the Pasifika Heartbeat app online.
While launching the app, Minister for Commerce, Trade, Tourism and Transport Faiyaz Koya acknowledged Wahed’s effort in providing a solution for Fijians to adapt to the digital age and enabling them to have easy access to valuable information.
“As the Minister responsible for YES, each time I see our youth succeed in their business ventures, I feel very proud and at the same time, confident that Fiji’s future is in the right hands. Our youth are innovative, resourceful and focused on their goals and they play an incredibly important role in our society,” said Mr Koya.
“The launch of the Pasifika Heartbeat app is a prime example of how we want young Fijians to be part of the solution. Wahed is an example of a young entrepreneur who is bridging the information gap with his unique and innovative idea,” he said.
The Pasifika Heartbeat app allows people to keep a record of their medical reports, provides regular notification of taking medications and managing appointments with the doctors. It also helps keep a track of blood pressure and sugar level readings and provides vital information on non-communicable diseases (NCD’s) and COVID-19.
The app also contains a list of essential emergency services and details of the nearest clinic.
“With a vision to revolutionise the health sector in Fiji where information and services are easily accessible on an online platform, I started working on this project two years ago,” said Wahed.
“I wanted to create a holistic health app that delivers as much functionality to the user as possible and reaches as many Fijians as possible,” he mentioned.
“I am thankful to the Government of Fiji for the financial assistance and also the Fiji National University for allowing its medical students to collaborate on the project. Our team consists of medical students, interns, doctors, accountants, auditors and marketers.”
Wahed stated the Pasifika Heartbeat is the beginning of the many health projects and services he has planned for Fiji.
