Stephen Muthama started using Banda Go in his clinic just over two months ago. I caught up with him the other day to get a feel for how things were going with Banda Go at his clinic.
Today, we’ll take a quick look at the challenges Muthama faces running a private clinic in a middle-income neighborhood. On Thursday, in Part II, we’ll see how Muthama is using Banda Go to build a sustainable business and deliver quality healthcare to his patients despite these challenges.
Header photo by Laurakomanga.
Want to get stories like this straight to your inbox?
Home to Builders Health Care Clinic and its owner Stephen Muthama, Pipeline is situated on the south side of Nairobi near Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. According to Muthama, Pipeline Embakasi is a densely populated “middle-income residential area.”
Most of the high-rise residential buildings have electricity, he says, but few have indoor plumbing. Residents retrieve water from a borehole serving 10-15 buildings. Most choose to drink bottled water if they can afford it. The roads are OK, as long as it’s not raining – drainage and sewer systems can be easily overwhelmed. High demand for housing leads to extremely crowded construction – buildings go up right next to each other and streets are squeezed between them. Coupled with busy car, bike and foot traffic, Muthama says that local fire departments have a difficult time making their way to the scene of a fire even if it is close by.
Residents of Pipeline Embakasi have extremely limited public healthcare options. Getting to a hospital takes most people about an hour. Muthama says that in theory, government hospitals or clinics tend to be the cheapest options. But by the time patients get there, wait in long lines often for hours, and make extra trips to a third party lab or pharmacy, it’s not clear how much money patients end up saving. Most prefer to try something closer to home first.
When Muthama first opened Builders, there were essentially a number of “Chemists” in the area – small shops selling antibiotics and painkillers without prescriptions. But there were no clinics offering medical consultation or lab testing. Muthama saw a need for better healthcare providers and an opportunity to be that provider. In April 2016, he left his position as manager of a clinic franchise and started his own private clinic.
Running a sustainable private clinic is not an easy task, even in a middle-income neighborhood like Pipeline. Every day, patients come through the doors of Builders Health Care Clinic without any money. Some arrive with a plan to sweet talk their way into free care. While keeping the business afloat means saying no to non-paying customers, sometimes Muthama’s heart gets the better of his good sense. But for those who arrive in urgent condition – a feverish child in the middle of a seizure, or a bleeding victim of assault and robbery on the street – Muthama cannot help but administer first aid and take on the cost himself.
In a community where patients so often have difficulty paying, Muthama has to work hard to keep his expenses down. It’s either that or face losing the clinic – and his livelihood. Happily, keeping expenses down just got a lot easier.
Banda Health at Builders in early 2019. Left to right: Kelly, Michael, (Stephen Muthama), Jeremy and Andrew. These are the guys making it happen. Get in on the action by donating today.
Amy is a strategist in the life sciences industry. She currently works for the Life Science business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany as the Head of Segments Excellence. She previously held positions as the Head of the CEO office and Associate Director of Global Strategy. Amy also worked for McKinsey & Company and Booz & Company as a management consultant and had served a wide range of clients in the biopharmaceutical industry.
Michael works closely with Jeremy, helping clinics get started with Banda Go. He joined Banda Health after gaining initial work experience in IT support and data management. He graduated from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology with a bachelors in mathematics and computer science.
Michael’s personal healthcare hero is Dominic Ngalo, a data analyst at Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi.
Nelly is our “concepts expert.” She ensures that all the necessary terms for our clinical modules are mapped and submitted to CIEL (concept dictionary). She’s a clinical epidemiologist with a master’s degree in epidemiology and disease control.
Nelly’s personal healthcare hero is Dr. Steve Letchford at Kijabe Hospital.
Bruce provides Banda Health with much-needed support as a clinical consultant based in Kabarak, Kenya, where he heads the Department of Family Medicine and Community Care. He’s also the director of the Digital African Health Library project and development director for Institute of Family Medicine in Nairobi.
Bruce’s personal healthcare hero is Dr. Peter Okaalet, the spiritual coordinator at Kabarak University in Kenya.
Kevin is undoubtedly our most outgoing developer! Before joining Banda Health, he spent 5 years in software consulting, working as a developer and manager at Pariveda Solutions. He completed his bachelor’s in aerospace enginnering at the University of Texas.
Kevin’s personal healthcare hero is Kate B., a physical therapist at Evangel VVF Center in Jos, Nigeria.
Jessica keeps the team organized. Whether it’s filing tax forms or preparing board reports, she makes sure it gets done on time! Before joining Banda Health, Jessica used her organization skills at a soccer start-up in Germany. She graduated from Yale University with a bachelor’s in Ethics, Politics and Economics and completed her master’s in International Relations at the Free University of Berlin.
Jessica’s personal healthcare hero is Jairos Fumpa, a cataract surgeon at Mukinge Mission Hospital in Zambia.
Thomas spends most of his time thinking about money – specifically, how he can get more of it to fund the work at Banda Health. He loves discussing big ideas, especially when they relate to good, affordable healthcare for everyone. In addition to fundraising, he helps push the envelope of BH strategy. Thomas received his bachelor’s in Near Eastern Studies at Princeton University.
Thomas’ personal healthcare hero is James Wanjiru, a nurse at Kijabe Hospital in central Kenya.
Kelly brings 6 years of experience as a system administrator managing server infrastructures and PC operations across multiple platforms (Unix, Linux, Windows). He has a bachelor’s degree in IT from KCA University and a diploma degree in IT from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology.
Kelly’s personal healthcare hero is Lydia Madaga, a former community health worker at PSI-Kenya.
Jeremy is our on-the-ground man, making sure the pilot sites have what they need to use our software. He previously worked as a systems analyst and team lead after getting his bachelor’s degree in computer science at Africa Nazarene University.
Jeremy’s personal healthcare hero is Isabella Muturi, a nurse at AIC Marira Clinic in Kenya.
Andrew makes sure the Nairobi team stays on track. He may seem quiet, but don’t underestimate his passion and expertise when it comes to health technology. He’s worked with leading businesses both in Kenya and internationally.
Andrew’s personal healthcare hero is Benedetta, a cashier at AIC Marira Clinic in Kenya.
Steve is the visionary behind Banda Health. After two decades working as a doctor and hospital administrator in Africa, he has stories that will convince even the biggest skeptic of the impact that IT can have on African healthcare.
Steve’s personal healthcare hero is Irene Mundia, a licensed practical nurse at Mushima Rural Health Centre in Zambia.
Wes oversees all things technical. If you want a sneak peek at the roadmap, he’s your man! With 15 years of programming experience in the US private sector plus 5 years of technical consulting and team leadership, he definitely knows what he’s doing.
Wes’ personal healthcare heroes are the Christian medical missionaries working around the world.