Ekshef: Finding a doctor has never been easier

Finding a decent doctor to go to is usually a very messy procedure, especially in Egypt. And here comes ‘Ekshef’, a Cairo based start-up that aims to solve a problem in Egypt as it plans to ease the confusion that Egyptians have when looking for a new doctor.

Ekshef’s co-founder, Mostafa Nageeb, tells us the story of how he came up with the idea: “My father wanted me to find a doctor and handed me this huge booklet full of doctors and he asked me to book an appointment with one,” said Nageeb. “I then decided to look for a website and see if I can book an appointment online, but all I found was contact information. Nothing recommended which doctor I should go see. So I decided with my friend Mohamed Hindawi that we should create an online social directory for doctors.”

Speaking on how they got into Flat6Labs, Nageeb spoke about how it was pure coincidence: “I was at the ArabNet event and I met Ahmed Alfi and I sought his advice regarding start-ups and he told me to meet with him at Sawari Ventures,” said Nageeb. Things aligned perfectly as the first cycle, Cycle 0, of Flat6Labs started 2 days later. Once they had the opportunity they grasped to it.

“The cycle was a life changing experience,” said Nageeb. He and his team just graduated from university and being thrust into the intense world of start-ups was not easy. “I learnt responsibility; responsibility to your team, your mentors, and your investors. That was very important,” said Nageeb. “The educational aspect of Flat6Labs was very important, we learnt a lot of things that were helpful in shaping our project.”

Speaking about what gives them an edge in the market Nageeb said: “People can log in to rate and review doctors and even find out which doctors are recommended by their friends; we’re not just a directory. We even provide things that other directories don’t have such as the opening hours of the clinic, the price of the consultation, and what particular insurance does that doctor cover.”

Now graduated from Flat6Labs, Ekshef continues to take strides in order to help ease the frustration of easily finding a doctor.

www.ekshef.com