• Senegal partners Wave to introduce mobile payments in public hospitals

• System aims to streamline payments, reduce cash use, and improve access

• Digitization targets transparency, better tracking, and reduced financial leakages

Senegal’s Health Ministry last week signed a partnership with mobile money operator Wave to roll out digital payments across public health facilities, aiming to modernize hospital services and secure financial flows.

Health and Public Hygiene Minister Ibrahima Sy said the partnership would progressively extend digital payments to all health facilities, simplify procedures for patients and make access easier, according to the Senegalese Press Agency. He added that the government aims to make digital payments a permanent standard in the health system.

Under the agreement, patients will be able to pay for medical services via mobile money, reducing reliance on cash. The initiative aims to make the process smoother for patients, often faced with long queues and multiple steps. Beyond improving patient experience, transparency is central to the reform.

By digitizing transactions, Senegalese authorities aim to better track payments, reduce leakages and limit the risk of misappropriation. Digital systems enable real-time monitoring of revenue generated by health facilities, giving administrators a more effective oversight tool. In a context where public resource management remains a major challenge, the initiative is expected to strengthen governance.

The choice of Wave also reflects a broader strategy to integrate fintechs into public services. Already widely used for everyday payments, the platform is expected to encourage adoption of the new system.

Adoni Conrad Quenum