Three information technology students from the North-West University (NWU), Tasmiyah Nakooda, Ulysses Makubika and Zaid Asvat, impressed Discovery so much during its annual GradHack Hackathon that they have been offered permanent employment.
The team’s performance during the Hackathon – a challenging 72-hour virtual competition – earned them a place among the top three finalists, and their project was acknowledged for its innovation and potential impact.
The top three teams were then invited to present their projects to Discovery's judging panel, and the NWU team’s idea of developing an AI-powered lung disease detection system integrated with an Electronic Health Record (EHR) system scored them permanent jobs at the company.
Diagnosing lung diseases
"The primary aim of our project was to improve the accuracy and speed of diagnosing lung diseases such as tuberculosis and pneumonia. Our system allows general practitioners to enter patient details, radiologists to upload and analyse X-rays, and pulmonologists to develop treatment plans based on the AI-generated reports. This integration is designed to streamline the diagnostic process and enhance patient outcomes," explains Tasmiyah.
She says the project aimed to transform healthcare by reducing costs and saving time, particularly in rural areas with limited healthcare resources. “The ability to provide quick and accurate diagnoses can significantly improve patient care and reduce the burden on the healthcare system,” she adds.
More about the competition
The Discovery GradHack Hackathon competition invited all final-year IT students studying at a South African university to develop a solution for real-world healthcare challenges. After the initial application process, 50 students across 16 teams were selected.
These teams were then tasked to develop a project that utilised artificial intelligence to address a pressing issue within the healthcare sector. As the competition was held virtually, it presented both unique challenges and opportunities for collaboration.
Despite the demanding nature of the competition, Tasmiyah says participating in the GradHack Hackathon was an invaluable experience and that her team managed to excel in each round. "We faced numerous challenges, including time constraints and technical difficulties, which required us to pull all-nighters and rapidly learn new technologies. Thankfully, the support from the NWU, including access to paid software and additional resources, was instrumental in our success."
She adds that the competition did not only test of their technical skills, but also the ability of competitors to work under pressure and collaborate effectively as a team.
"The Discovery GradHack Hackathon was an unforgettable experience that challenged us to push our limits and think creatively. We are immensely grateful for the opportunity to participate and for the support from the NWU. This experience has not only enhanced our technical skills, but has also inspired us to continue leveraging technology to address critical healthcare issues. The opportunity to meet and connect with professionals from Discovery and other participants from various universities enriched our experience and provided us with new perspectives," adds Tasmiyah.
Dr Japie Greeff, deputy director of the School of Computer Science and Information Systems, says he is proud of the team’s dedication and accomplishment. “Hard work and determination in the field of computer science is very important and I encourage these students to continue striving for excellence.”
Zaid Asvat, Tasmiyah Nakooda and Ulysses Makubika made the NWU proud during the Discovery GradHack Hackathon.
