How Her Father’s Death Led Her to Build a Digital Health Platform

For Beamlak Alemayehu, the gaps in the healthcare system aren't just statistics—they are personal. When she was only six months old, her family’s world was shattered by a preventable tragedy. Her father, an accountant, lost his life due to a simple administrative error: a card swap. Because he shared a similar name with another patient, he was administered the incorrect medication.

That moment left Beamlak’s mother to raise two children as a single parent. Growing up in Addis Ababa, Beamlak watched her mother navigate life with the strength of a finance professional, but the "what ifs" of her father’s death never left her. She realized early on that in healthcare, a single second and a single piece of accurate information can be the difference between life and death.

Beamlak’s journey began in clinical nursing and social work, where she saw the same systemic gaps that had claimed her father. She watched patients from rural areas wander through Addis Ababa, lost and desperate, asking where to find a specific medicine or which doctor to visit.

After a brief stint in the travel industry, she founded a medical tourism company. Facilitating patient travel to India and Türkiye opened her eyes. "I saw that these countries had solved the chaos through technology," she explains. This realization, combined with the support of her husband—an electrical engineer in the innovation sector—pushed her to stop looking for solutions abroad and start building them at home.

In 2022, Beamlak launched Medanit IT Solutions, a digital health platform with a mission to make healthcare accessible, inclusive, and life-saving by saving people’s time. Three years later, she is a pioneer in Ethiopia’s digital health sector. Her platform is a holistic ecosystem consisting of a website, a call center, an app, and a Telegram bot. Whether a patient is taking a photo of a prescription for home delivery, booking a specialist, or seeking a virtual consultation, Medanit ensures that "Every Second Counts."

The impact has been staggering. Over the last three years, more than 60,000 people have utilized the platform’s services, and in 2025 alone, nearly 300,000 users visited the website for information. From telemedicine to mental health counseling, the platform has connected over 60 health partners to those in need. Remarkably, her virtual counseling has reached the Ethiopian diaspora in the U.S., UK, Canada, and the Gulf, even beginning to generate foreign currency for the nation.

Today, at 28, Beamlak balances a thriving business with her MBA studies at the London School of Business and Finance, all while raising two-year-old twin daughters. Her capital has grown to two million Birr, and her team has expanded to 22 dedicated professionals.

In recognition of her work, the Entrepreneurship Development Institute (EDI)—which has supported her through market linkages—honored her as the "Promising Female Entrepreneur of the Year" during Global Entrepreneurship Week 2025 in Addis Ababa.

On this International Women’s Day 2026, Beamlak’s story is a shining example of the "Give to Gain" spirit. By giving her talent and her story to the public, she has gained a legacy that saves lives. Her ultimate dream is to ensure a rural farmer can consult a top-tier specialist via telemedicine, ensuring that no more families are torn apart by a missing file or a swapped card.