The Kisumu Medical and Education Trust (KMET) has launched an innovative health financing initiative targeting private primary health care facilities, including pharmacies and clinics to enhance access to quality medical care within the Lake Region Economic Bloc (LREB).
Backed by a Sh20 million fund, the initiative dubbed Tiba Mashinani will enable facilities to access loans ranging from Sh50,000 to Sh500,000 at 13% interest rate to strengthen their systems.
KMET Founding Executive Director Dr Monica Ogutu said the initiative is designed to empower health facilities to improve service delivery by restocking essential medical supplies, upgrading infrastructure, and expanding access to healthcare services.
“Our goal is to bridge gaps in healthcare financing and ensure that even the most remote facilities have the resources they need to offer quality care to the community. We are taking quality health services where the need is,” said Dr Ogutu.
Facilities keen to tap into the kitty, she said must be duly registered and licensed adding that KMET which is a Safe Care Product Methodology Licensee will monitor and support the facilities to improve on quality and systems to achieve positive clinical outcomes.
Speaking in Kisumu during the launch of the initiative in Kisumu, Dr Ogutu said many small and medium-sized private healthcare providers were struggling with limited financial resources, affecting their ability to offer consistent and high-quality services.
By providing access to affordable credit, KMET, she said, aims to stimulate growth and resilience in the primary healthcare sector, ultimately benefiting millions of residents in the Lake Region Economic Bloc.
“We want our facilities to be like mini supermarkets where you walk in and get everything that you want,” she said.
The new financing model, she added, aligns with KMET’s long-standing mission to strengthen healthcare systems, particularly in underserved regions.
Over the years, KMET , she said,has been instrumental in providing technical and financial support to healthcare providers, focusing on maternal and child health, reproductive health, and disease prevention.
She said through strategic partnerships and capacity-building programs, KMET has facilitated training for healthcare workers, distributed medical supplies, and implemented community outreach initiatives to improve health outcomes.
This, she said has helped reduce maternal deaths in the 42 counties where the NGO operates with the five leading causes—hypertensive diseases, postpartum haemorrhage, sepsis, obstructed labour and unsafe abortion—brought down to manageable levels.
Dr Ogutu said KMET will monitor the performance and impact of the fund with prospects of scaling up the allocation in the near future to reach more health facilities.
Kisumu County Director for Medical Services Dr Ogola Don Sande lauded the initiative saying it will go a long way in augmenting government efforts to enhance access to quality health services.
The partnership, she said, was set to build capacity for the private health facilities and health workforce to improve health indicators in the area.
By Chris Mahandara
