APPBULANCE App Connects Medical Volunteers with Those in Need

Imagine needing an ambulance one day, but living in Latin America where it is likely that it won't arrive due to traffic, limited service, and other factors that affect the region.

Now imagine that on the floor below your apartment, there is a doctor who can quickly come to your aid, stabilise you while waiting for the ambulance, and save your life.

Ogilvy Bolivia has created an innovative solution to the issue of limited ambulance services in Latin America with the launch of their new app APPBULANCE in the coming months. The app, developed by Ogilvy's technology division Soulftware Corporation, recently won a Pencil at the D&AD Future Impact Awards and has been shortlisted for The One Show 2023 in the IP&Products category.

APPBULANCE utilises geolocation technology to connect volunteers in the medical community with those in need of urgent medical attention. In a region where ambulance services are often limited by traffic and other factors, this network of volunteer doctors can provide crucial, immediate aid in emergencies.

Henry Medina, the chief creative officer of Ogilvy Bolivia and the creator of APPBULANCE, shared a personal experience that motivated him to create this innovative solution. "During quarantine, one of my daughters became ill and I had to take her to the paediatrician, not knowing that a paediatrician was living in the same condominium complex as me, just a block away. We could have accessed his help quickly and avoided the difficult situation that, for many, can even mean death."

The app is designed with a panic button that immediately sends the exact location of the emergency and opens the phone's speaker to record the entire procedure for legal purposes. It also sends messages to the nearest doctors within a 300-meter radius, requesting their assistance. The volunteer doctors can stabilise the patient and even choose to cancel the ambulance request to avoid overwhelming the healthcare system.

In addition to its life-saving capabilities, the company plans to expand the app's features to offer a range of medical services such as booking appointments with doctors, ordering medication through delivery, managing pharmacy logistics, requesting stock, onboarding medical insurance, and more.

Soulftware Corporation hopes to scale this app to a regional level in the medium term and, ultimately, to a global level in the long term. Henry said, "We are eagerly awaiting the results of The One Show, and we hope that our success there will help us continue to develop this purpose-driven technology."