Why the NCCK is investing in Kenya’s Healthcare Sector
June 26, 2017
Using the Indian Model of Healthcare Delivery, Jumuia Hospitals are Bound to Radically Change the Sector
Jumuia Group of hospitals is a wholly owned subsidiary of the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK), set up to provide Christ-cantered high quality, accessible, affordable and universal healthcare services and training to Kenyans.
By investing over Ksh 5 billion in phase one, Jumuia Hospitals is set become one of the leading healthcare providers and arguably a leading private mission hospitals’ chain in Kenya.
In this first Phase of the council’s investment in the healthcare sector, a total of five hospitals are envisaged to be established in Kakamega, Kaimosi in Vihiga, Embu, Huruma in Nairobi and Limuru in Kiambu.
The first facility, Jumuia Friends Teaching and Referral Hospital Kaimosi, and Kakamega Out Patient and Diagnostic unit are up and running and construction works are at an advanced stage in the construction of Jumuia hospital Huruma .
How it all started
The journey of Jumuia Hospitals started almost as an accident following then the NCCK’s treasuer Mr. Kibuga Kariithi’s wife diagnosis with lung cancer stage four that needed urgent attention. Doctors in Nairobi recommended treatment be sought in India, a decision that would see them spend many days in that country. It was then that the official took some time to study the Indian model of healthcare interventions.
In consultation with the General Secretary of the NCCK, a decision was made to visit India to seek to understand why so many Kenyans were visiting that country for advanced treatment, especially cancer related diagnostics at a cost that is about 30% of the prices in Kenya.
A consultant was hired by the NCCK to try and find out how NCCK could adopt the Indian model of healthcare to deliver similar services in Kenya. “We were aware that this may require a player in Kenya other than the public sector who may be private but committed to a social ideal that drives the business as opposed to a purely profiteering model considering the vulnerability of every Kenyan to disease.” explains the General Secretary Cannon Peter Karanja. Canon Karanja further observes that: “We concluded that if NCCK was to engage in that kind of healthcare delivery, we would shoot for the best standards of healthcare delivery because even the poor deserve the best.”
For NCCK, this was going to be a long term plan to ensure accessibility to address the current situation where most of the superior diagnosis and interventions are found only in Nairobi. “We are going to try to reproduce it.”
“Motivated by the love of Christ that compels us to serve those in need, and especially the sick, the Church is the only institution in Kenya with the capacity to forego profits for the sake of making universal healthcare accessible to as many Kenyans as possible,” adds the Deputy General Secretary, Dr. Nelson Makanda.
Indian Model efficiency
According to the consultant leading the operations at Jumuia Hospitals, Dr. Abdul Rahman, the efficiency in Indian model of healthcare delivery is due to a number of reasons. First, it is patient cantered. Secondly, the Indian model places a lot of focus on high-end technology and training. Third, efficient standardized processes and procedures.
This eliminates wastage and impacts on pricing hence low cost of high-end medical care. Dr. Makanda who has himself been treated in India concurs and quips that the hallmark of Indian health care is high quality delivery with quick turnaround of services.
With this background, the NCCK through its special purpose vehicle, the Jumuia Hospitals Limited, is implementing a 20-year business plan to establish a chain of hospitals built on the principles of accessibility, high quality and affordability doting multiple locations in Kenya.
This investment is at all levels of healthcare, namely, primary, secondary and tertiary levels. The apex of Jumuia hospitals is going to be the super-specialty teaching and referral hospital in the environs of Nairobi in Limuru. This shall be the ultimate referral centre for all Jumuia and other hospitals in the region. This will ensure that the hospitals are able to deliver healthcare solutions at every level. “When that strategy is implemented, NCCK is likely to become one of the biggest players in the area of health in this country and the region,” Rev. Canon Karanja envisions.
According to the Jumuia Hospital Board Chairman Mr. Kibuga Kariithi, India has managed to make healthcare intervention a production line such that simple procedures are done by junior staff but the complex ones are performed by the most experienced personnel. In such a way, one doctor can handle many complex surgeries in a single day and therefore costs remain relatively low as compared to Kenya.
Why Kaimosi was Chosen as the Premier Facility
The head of the Friends Church informed the Council of the existence of a 100-year hospital facility in Kaimosi but which had completely been run down and in urgent need of refurbishment to regain its lost stature.
After a serious evaluation and consideration, the NCCK’s governance decided to take over the Kaimosi Mission Hospital which had served as the regional referral hospital for many decades in its heydays.
H.E President Kenyatta Admires one of the Machines in the Facility During his Tour Soon After Unveiling it. Looking on is NCCK General Sec. Rev. Canon Karanja.
So advanced was the hospital in the missionary era that it even had an airstrip that saw patients fly in from Uganda, the DRC, Tanzania and other parts of the country as the most superior healthcare provider in the region.
But when the missionaries left and Africans took over, the hospital of 150 beds died to the point where it was only handling between five and ten inpatients. This dream would later be revived through Jumuia Hospitals. “We agreed we could take it over and run it as a Jumuia Hospital,” Canon Karanja explains adding that over Sh400 million has been invested in the facility to turn it around. “The East Africa Development Bank (EADB) has been our partner in this journey.”
The hospital which sits on 28 acres of land, is now fully refurbished and equipped into a 100-bed hospital with modern utilities, two operating theatres and an nine bed ICU ranking at the moment as the only high capacity operational ICU in the western region of Kenya. In addition, the hospital is equipped with a 16 slice CT scan.
Since the hospital is equipped with modern radiology equipment and machines that can carry out efficient cancer diagnosis, theatres that conduct onco-surgical procedures, plans are underway to start chemotherapy in the course of the year. “Cancer is one of the reasons the hospital was established,” says Canon Karanja. Partnership talks are at an advanced stage to establish a full-fledged oncology department to offer the much needed cancer services. Dialysis services will also be available at the facility shortly.
The level five hospital is in partnership with NHIF and other medical insurance providers.
Other Jumuia Hospitals in the works
With Jumuia Friends Hospital, Kaimosi and Jumuia Kakamega Diagnostic Centre opened, focus now shifts to Jumuia Hospital Huruma which is scheduled to open its doors before end of year. The over 130-bed capacity hospital is poised to have three complete theatres, 10 ICU beds and a fully equipped radiology unit. This project is funded by debt supported by EADB.
Complete designs are ready for the 150-bed Jumuia Bethsaida Hospital, Embu. Fundraising for the facility is ongoing and the hospital is expected to be operational in the next two years.
Phase 1 will also see the establishment of the 300 bed Jumuia Hospital Limuru which will be the apex teaching and referral unit of the chain of hospitals. “Limuru will be India for all practical purposes,” says Canon Karanja. “The design is complete; we are at the process of fund raising.”
MOU with leading universities
Even before the Jumuia Hospitals are fully operational, leading universities have requested to partner with the facilities to offer medical and healthcare sciences training. For instance, Masinde Muliro University has already been signed up with courses at Kaimosi expected to start in the next 12 months.
At the Jumuia Hospital Huruma, a leading private University has indicated willingness to partner with the teaching and referral hospital. NCCK anticipates that all the hospitals will have a nursing schools in due course.
Conclusion
Jumuia Hospitals are a journey of faith and hope. The NCCK has committed to walk this path in the hope that Kenya can become the hub of high quality healthcare in the region. We have faith that God will bring to us well-meaning and committed partners who will walk with us to fulfil the mission of bringing good health to God’s people thus fulfilling our motto, “For Wanainchi” (citizens).
