BBC NEWS AT BBC.CO.UK/NEWS
An invention by a South African engineer that dispenses pills has won a major engineering prize. Neo Hutiri invented the Pelebox, a locker patients can unlock with a one-time personal identification number sent to their phone.
These lockers cut wait times down “from 3 ½ hours to under 36 seconds,” he told the BBC.
South Africa runs the world’s largest HIV/AIDS treatment program, which has led to high numbers of patients with repeat prescriptions.
Hutiri won the $32,000 2019 Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation from the Royal Academy of Engineering. He said he came up with the idea after he was diagnosed with tuberculosis in 2014 and he went to his clinic to collect medicine.
Long lines at pharmacies can be caused by staff shortages and high volumes of patients with chronic illnesses, such as HIV and AIDS. Hutiri said the lockers also provide a measure of privacy that can help with illnesses that may have a stigma associated with them, such as HIV.
Six smart locker units are in operation in South Africa, and the company is building eight more. He says he will use prize money to help build an assembly section for manufacturing and improve the technology so they can scale up the business.
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