MusawoLink
Solving the emergency staffing scramble in Uganda's healthcare ecosystem
An on-demand marketplace that connects verified healthcare professionals with facilities needing short-term workforce.
An on-demand marketplace that connects verified healthcare professionals with facilities needing short-term workforce.
When a clinician calls in sick, staff co-ordinators scramble through personal networks and WhatsApp groups to find a replacement. It's slow, unreliable, and risky.
Nurse calls a friend
Friend texts a colleague
Colleague may know someone
Shift might get filled, or not
I leveraged 7 years of domain experience and conducted qualitative interviews across hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies.
I initially sent all questions in one WhatsApp message. Responses were brief and lacked depth.
I switched to one question at a time, leading to richer stories and deeper insights.
Facilities rely on a few trusted contacts — fragile and hard to scale.
Many clinicians seeking locum work remain invisible outside their circles.
Facilities need confidence in credentials before assigning shifts.
Verification and transparency before access.
Minimise steps when posting or claiming shifts.
Optimised for low bandwidth and shaky connectivity.
Language and payment flows users already know.
Verify · Match · Connect
I tested the 'post shift' flow with facility managers. Goal: complete in under 60 seconds.
Designing a dual-sided marketplace taught me that every decision on one side impacts the other. Alignment across both experiences is essential for trust and efficiency.
My background in Ugandan healthcare accelerated access to real users and helped me uncover operational nuances that shaped a more empathetic, relevant solution.
Validate the solution with rural health centres, where connectivity, staffing models, and trust mechanisms differ from urban environments.