A nursing officer at Sango Primary Health Centre in Lagos presents a QR code to a new mother, instructing her to scan it and provide feedback on her care experience. This small action represents a broader transformation in how Nigerian health facilities track and enhance maternity services.
Historically, women delivering in Nigerian health centres had limited avenues to share their experiences. Concerns were often voiced in hushed tones, discarded into suggestion boxes that rarely received attention, or left unspoken due to fear. Some believed speaking out could invite retaliation, while others assumed their input would be ignored. Dorathy Ochenehi, the senior nursing officer at Sango PHC, explained that “Some patients believe if they complain, they might be targeted,” adding that many women therefore stay quiet. This silence has long hindered both patient rights and systemic advancements, as health systems lacked documented input to address gaps or build public trust.
AI-Powered Reviews Transform Maternity Care
A digital solution is now addressing these challenges through Project Aisha, a maternal health initiative supported by MSD for Mothers and delivered by a partnership including NaviHealth.ai. The program enables women to submit anonymous reviews of their care experiences in real time. Patients can rate facilities on factors such as timeliness, safety and patient-centredness, alongside open-ended comments. Behind the scenes, artificial intelligence analyses responses, identifies recurring issues, and generates facility-specific reports for staff and administrators. The initiative prioritises amplifying women’s perspectives in care delivery while treating patient experience as a measurable aspect of quality improvement.
Since its introduction, the program has gathered over 5,000 maternity-related reviews as part of a larger 22,000-patient dataset across NaviHealth’s network. The rollout proceeded in stages, beginning as a pilot in select Lagos and Kaduna facilities, then focusing on primary health centres and nurse-led clinics. Currently, the initiative operates in 69 PHCs across Lagos State, aligning with the state’s digital health priorities.
Solomon Chinedu, NaviHealth.ai’s data-protection lead, explained, “The realities of PHCs are very different from what you see in private hospitals.” He added, “So, we needed to adapt the intervention specifically to that environment.” Unlike standalone feedback systems, NaviHealth.ai integrates patient input into broader quality-improvement frameworks, ensuring direct connections between feedback and care adjustments.
Real-Time Feedback Fixes Critical Delays
At Rauf Aregbesola PHC, feedback revealed prolonged wait times during antenatal visits—sometimes exceeding two hours for lab results and ultrasounds. Staff discovered that the delay stemmed from bottlenecks with the scan doctor and the laboratory. “We realised the delay was from the scan doctor and the lab,” said Emmanuel-Imohi Justina, Senior Nursing Officer, “so we sat down with them and changed the workflow, which crunched the wait time to 30 minutes.”
At Sango PHC, patient complaints highlighted harsh attitudes during labour. In response, the facility organised re-orientation sessions on respectful maternity care and reinforced expectations around communication and patient interaction. Women who delivered there noted the improvement, saying that nurses were calmer, explained procedures clearly, and made them feel more comfortable.
The platform’s real-time, anonymous submission process accelerates issue resolution. Health workers receive immediate alerts about problems, while managers gain documented evidence of systemic challenges, such as staffing shortages or facility-expansion needs. Lagos State has adopted the initiative, with the Primary Health Care Board now reviewing facility dashboards across all six health districts.
Looking ahead, the programme is set to remain embedded within broader quality-improvement cycles, ensuring that patient voices continue to shape service delivery. As Solomon emphasised, “This was never just about collecting reviews. It is about ensuring that patients’ voices become part of the way facilities improve care.”