Shofco Kibera Clinic wins Kenya Quality Health Management award

Shofco Kibera Clinic has won the Best NGO Level 2 Dispensary Award. The Kenya Quality Health Management Awards were organised by the Nairobi Metropolitan Service.  

The Kibera-based clinic scored the highest marks in Lang’ata sub-county in the one-year period under assessment.

This comes three months after the facility was named the second in Quality Healthcare Kenyan Awards where it won the Excellence Award in improving access to primary healthcare services to the urban poor.

The achievement was not a walk in the park as the Kibera clinic quality improvement team had to work hard on several projects submitted quarterly to the Kenya Quality Health Management for vetting by non-affiliated assessors.

The Shofco Kibera Clinic claimed the overall prizes in Supply Management Dimension and Level 2 NGO Dispensary. In 2018, the facility finished second.

Communicable diseases

“It means a lot to see our efforts at the community level being appreciated,” said Shofco Health Director Emma Ingaiza.

Ms Caroline Asitiba, who is in charge of the Kibera Clinic and also doubles up as the leader of the quality improvement team, thanked the Shofco management for their support.   

Shofco founder and CEO Kennedy Odede started the Kibera clinic in 2010 with just a few staff and volunteers to treat communicable diseases. By 2014, the numbers grew and the facility could serve 300 patients per day, necessitating expansion. This led to the opening of four satellite clinics in Kibera and another clinic in Mathare.  

“The clinics were started from the idea that people should not die because of poor health care,” said Mr Odede.

HIV/Aids testing

Level Two facilities offer maternal child health, nutrition, outpatient child screening and HIV/Aids testing.  Shofco’s clinics offer quality health services at near zero cost with patients paying just Sh200 which covers consultation, lab tests and drugs.

“Children under five years, maternal services, TB and HIV/Aids and nutrition services are free,” said Ms Ingaiza.

The Kibera clinics serve patients from Kawangware, Mukuru, Kiambu and Kitengela.

 “Being at number one is easy but staying there is difficult so we have to ensure that we fill all the small gaps, continue the same efforts to remain there,” Ms Asitiba said.

“There is pressure to remain on top but this only pushes us to be innovative and consistent with the support of our CEO Mr Odede,” said Ms Ingaiza,”

Part of the innovation has been the introduction of the National Hospital Insurance Fund at Shofco clinics. This allows the urban poor to use their cards to access treatment.

However, Ms Ingaiza believes their job will not be done until they empower the slum community to prevent rather than treat diseases.