Rabia Mayet | rabiamayet@radioislam.co.za

03 July 2025

3-minute read

Shaping the future of science and healthcare is Raees Ahmed Khan, an 18-year-old matric student, innovator and aspiring biomedical engineer from the small agricultural town of Vryburg in South Africa’s Northwest province. His passion for healthcare and technology wowed judges at the Eskom Expo for Young Scientists in 2024 with his ‘Portable Automated Healthcare Device.’

Growing up on a farm in the small town of Vryburg, Raees says he was “driven to achieve” with “limited resources,” and this made him passionate enough to develop his own healthcare device. As a qualified first aider working in the medical sector for the past couple of years, Raees saw the need for on-the-spot health care to be administered on the scene to reduce the risk of injury or even death, and to ensure that illnesses and diseases do not progress to critical levels. Raees was inspired to develop the portable automated healthcare device, designed to improve access to essential healthcare, especially in underprivileged communities.

Homeostasis, the balance of everything in the body, gets disturbed when there is an illness or disease in a person. This irregularity can be identified before showing major symptoms, so that treatment or intervention can begin before the illness or disease grows or spreads. Raees’s Portable Automated Healthcare Device combines first-aid resources, medical diagnostics, smart medication management, and temperature-sensitive storage in one portable, power-independent unit. The main function of the device is the diagnostic unit that gives an accurate reading of all vitals. By putting your finger into the device, you will get a widespread and accurate reading of all your vitals. The device is linked to a website that keeps a record of all a person’s readings and updates them every time he or she rechecks their vitals.

Raees says that in a matter of a few months, his life has changed, and he has received recognition throughout the country, giving him “more motivation” to persevere and achieve more. From clinching top regional awards and earning a Gold Medal at the Eskom International Science Fair where he was crowned ‘top senior scientist’, to representing South Africa at an international science fair in Mexico, where he placed in the global top 10, Raees’s journey has been nothing short of extraordinary. His project earned him top honours, including the prestigious Exhibitors Award for the most outstanding project on display, and exposure to what the world has to offer. Raees says that being able to interact with other like-minded people, see their creativity, and get more ideas for his own project was an “amazing experience.”

His advice to other youth is “to go for it” because nothing is “out of reach.” His effort and dedication paid off as he continues to push to achieve.  Raees’s invention reflects his deep commitment to using science and technology to solve real-world problems.

Raees continues to explore opportunities to develop and deploy innovative healthcare solutions, aiming to make a lasting impact both locally and globally.

Listen to the full interview here.