Jim Leech Mastercard Foundation Fellowship Fellow, Baluku Hannington has opened his first telemedicine Centre in Bundibugyo, Uganda.
Hannington is the founder of Treatinet, a registered telemedicine centre that admits severely sick patients while bedside nurses coordinate with remote doctors to treat patients. Additionally, solar-powered kiosks are installed in public locations, where users can insert their cards to receive regular checkups.
Since launching in June 2024, Treatinet has facilitated more than 300 consultations, 60% of which have been women between 15 to 49 years old, delivered over 100 medications, and generated employment opportunities for two full-time nurses and one partitime doctor.
Treatinet helps address the lack of access to healthcare in rural Uganda. “Growing up in rural Uganda, 40 kilometres away from the nearest hospital, I witnessed my close relatives suffer from treatable conditions simply because the doctor was far away,” Hannington said.
According to the Uganda Bureau of Statistics, three in four rural Ugandans lack access to doctors, regular checkups, and medicine. They must travel more than 40 kilometers to a hospital, where they wait for hours to see a doctor. These patients miss follow-ups and are often victims of preventable medical complications.
Along the way, Hannington has learned the importance of understanding local infrastructure gaps and marrying physical and digital solutions to address critical problems. “The fastest growing startups in Africa aren’t tech startups. They're tech-enabled hybrids,” Hannington said.
Hannington expressed his gratitude to the Jim Leech Mastercard Foundation Fellowship, stating that he learned critical skills in design thinking, social entrepreneurship, business modeling, and impact-driven innovation.
Since completing the program, Hannington was accepted into the Young African Leaders Initiative, spoke at the Academy for Health Innovation Uganda and the Uganda National Digital Health Conference, and was selected for the 2025 Tony Elumelu Foundation Program on entrepreneurship. His work has also been published by the Ministry of Health in Uganda.
Next, Treatinet is looking to renovate their telemedicine center, install three new kiosks, and integrate a mobile payment plan. “In the next three years, we aim to generate $150,000 U.S. dollars in revenue. Creating ten more jobs among the youth, as well as saving lives, time and money, reducing carbon emissions associated with rural-urban healthcare travels by nine percent,” Hannington said.
As Treatinet continues to grow, Hannington remains committed to building a more accessible, equitable, and innovative healthcare system for rural Ugandans. His vision blends compassion with cutting-edge technology, proving that homegrown solutions can transform entire communities.
