By Natalie Walters
If you’re living in the U.S. in 2019 and notice yourself feeling sick, the first thing you probably do is search Google for your symptoms to try to pre-diagnose yourself before you resort to plan B: seeing an actual doctor. In Kenya in 2019, the first thing sick people do is consult a chemist (like a small pharmacy). Chemists sell you almost any type of medicine without a prescription from a doctor or a clinician.
Chemists are mainly looking to sell drugs because that’s the main way they make money. In Kenya, chemists are like Starbucks in the U.S. in that there seems to be one on every block.
Everyone wants to be a chemist because of the money, but not everyone is trained and licensed to do it. There are currently about 5,800 registered pharmacies in Kenya staffed by a registered pharmacy technician, but many health clinic owners suspect there are nearly as many unregistered pharmacies. The Pharmacy and Poisons Board recently shut down 86 unlicensed chemists in western Kenya, according to the Daily Nation.
However, because there’s a chemist on every block, they become part of a neighborhood and are often trusted above anyone else — even if they have no training and a bad track record. As you can imagine, trained medical professionals in Kenya are often frustrated with this trend.
“There’s a gap in the healthcare system in Kenya,” said St. Jude Clinics owner Boniface. “People tend to go to chemists. And this can become a health hazard because then sick people often don’t get better.”
This gap is what made Boniface want to enter the medical industry in Kenya with his own practice as a clinical officer, similar to a physician’s assistant in the U.S.
So how does a real clinical officer in Kenya convince people to come to him instead of an unlicensed chemist who’s just doing guesswork? Good service, according to Boniface.
It’s not enough to just tell a patient how they can get better, he said. In order to set himself apart from the common chemist, he takes time to explain to each patient what’s wrong with them and why he thinks the treatment he chose is the right one. This helps him build trust and loyalty with his patients, who often bring him additional patients via word-of-mouth marketing.
But explaining his diagnosis and treatment is harder than you would think. That’s because his patients have often already been to a chemist and although the chemist’s treatment didn’t work, they still have a hard time trusting someone other than their neighborhood pharmacy.
“People have a tendency to believe the first person they hear so trying to change that mentality is difficult,” he said.
This also applies to asking friends and family for advice on symptoms and what they recommend. Boniface said by the time he sees a patient, they’ve probably already tried and failed at two or three medications. This is a waste of their money and also means their symptoms may have worsened by the time they make it to St. Jude.
As you can probably guess, another way Boniface has been setting his business apart is by using Banda’s software. When we asked him what he thinks of it so far, he immediately said, “Awesome!”
Prior to Banda, his customers were given patient cards with their appointment information and medical history, but these were often misplaced. Now, he can easily pull up information on a patient from six months ago. This helps him have context on a patient when they come for a return visit and helps him keep track of debts owed to him.
Boniface said another software company had actually approached him prior to Banda but he turned them down because it was too expensive for him. Banda wants its software to be affordable to clinics like St. Jude that see 10-15 patients a day in low-resource areas where people often can’t afford to pay for care. That’s why we’re relying on donations from generous supporters who understand the gap in healthcare in Kenya and want to help.
“I feel bad when I deny people medication so I’m not so strict with payments,” Boniface said. “I give them a plan to pay and follow up with them by using Banda’s tracking system.”
In our next newsletter (in two weeks time – do you already get them? if not, sign up here) we will be telling you all about our end of year campaign, which will kick off with Giving Tuesday on December 3rd. So look out for that update next time!
But as a sneak peak, consider that for every $1 you donate this year, 3 patients will receive good healthcare from providers like Boniface who go the extra mile in making sure their patients are well taken care of.
Banda Go is our baby, and it’s taking a global village to raise it. Thanks for doing this with us!
A journalist from New York, Natalie is helping write stories about the clinics using Banda Go.
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.
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.