The verdict in three sentences
A custom patient management platform in Dakar runs between 6,000,000 and 18,000,000 FCFA in 2026, depending on the number of practitioners and insurance billing (IPM, mutual funds, coverage). The core value is the digital patient record coupled with booking and billing. Return on investment comes from front-desk time cut and fewer errors in billing and records.
What the platform covers in 2026
A clinic still on paper gains most by digitising three things: the patient record (history, prescriptions), the booking calendar with SMS reminders, and insurance billing with coverage tracking. Compliance with health data rules (Senegal's 2008-12 personal data law) requires secure storage and traced access.
| Module | Core tier | Full tier | 2026 order of magnitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| Digital patient record | Yes | Yes | 1,500,000 - 3,500,000 FCFA |
| Booking + SMS reminders | Yes | Yes | 1,200,000 - 2,800,000 FCFA |
| Insurance / IPM billing | Partial | Yes | 1,800,000 - 4,500,000 FCFA |
| Cash desk + collection | Yes | Yes | 900,000 - 2,200,000 FCFA |
| Management reporting | No | Yes | 1,000,000 - 2,500,000 FCFA |
| Secure hosting (recurring) | Yes | Yes | 80,000 - 250,000 FCFA / month |
| Delivery time | 4 - 5 months | 5 - 7 months | - |
The cost items to anticipate
The gap between 6 and 18 million FCFA comes mainly from insurance billing (multiple IPM/mutual rules), the number of practitioners to configure, and integrations (SMS, Wave/Orange Money mobile payment for deposits).
| Item | Simple project | Full project | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Design + UX | 700,000 FCFA | 2,000,000 FCFA | Intake and practitioner journeys |
| Core development | 3,000,000 FCFA | 8,500,000 FCFA | Records, booking, cash desk |
| Insurance billing | 1,000,000 FCFA | 4,000,000 FCFA | Most variable item |
| Integrations (SMS, Wave/OM) | 500,000 FCFA | 1,800,000 FCFA | Reminders + deposits |
| Training + rollout | 600,000 FCFA | 1,700,000 FCFA | Staff adoption |
| Indicative total | 5,800,000 FCFA | 18,000,000 FCFA | Excluding maintenance |
Mini case study
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Dr. Sow runs a private clinic in Dakar: 6 practitioners, about 120 patients per day. At the front desk, finding a paper file and registering a patient takes 12 minutes on average. With a digital record and an instant patient card, that drops to 4 minutes, i.e. 8 minutes saved per patient. Across 120 patients that is 960 minutes/day, about 16 hours of front-desk work saved daily, spread across the team. At a loaded cost of 1,500 FCFA/h, that is 24,000 FCFA/day, roughly 576,000 FCFA/month. On a 12,000,000 FCFA investment, payback on front-desk time alone is about 21 months, before billing-error gains.
FAQ
Do health data rules impose specific requirements? Yes, Senegal's 2008-12 law requires secure storage, traced access and patient consent. Budget secure hosting at 80,000 - 250,000 FCFA/month.
Can we bill IPM and mutual funds automatically? Yes, it is the most variable item (1,800,000 to 4,500,000 FCFA) because each insurer has its own coverage rules and forms.
Can we collect deposits via Wave or Orange Money? Yes, through a mobile payment integration. Plan 500,000 to 1,800,000 FCFA depending on providers and associated SMS reminders.
How long to start? Between 4 and 7 months. The records + booking + cash desk core ships in 4-5 months; full insurance billing extends the timeline.
Do all staff need training? Yes, adoption is the real challenge. The 600,000 to 1,700,000 FCFA training/rollout budget determines the success of the paper-to-digital switch.
Let's scope your project. Give us your number of practitioners, the insurers to bill and your target date: we will scope the perimeter and an indicative budget in FCFA. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
