Top Asian hospital eyes Africa with Nairobi headquarters

Asian hospital network, Columbia Asia, has set up its African headquarters in Parklands, Nairobi, to serve rising number of Kenyans seeking specialised treatment abroad.

The clinic operating under a new brand, Columbia Africa, a 5,300-square-foot multispecialty clinic and diagnostic centre, opened this week.

“Africa has become a growing market for us, as patients are increasingly seeking multispecialty, affordable healthcare services delivered at international standards,” said group chief executive John Northen.

The Nairobi clinic will also serve as a referral node, offering patient services centre to facilitate travel for surgery at Columbia Asia hospitals in Asia. The hospitals have already been receiving a significant number of patients from East Africa. 

The new clinic in Nairobi specialises in family medicine, internal medicine, paediatrics, gynaecology, general surgery, orthopaedics, ophthalmology and dental care. 

The facility offers health checks, as well as telemedicine to allow patients to consult with specialist doctors at Columbia Asia hospitals.

Mr Northen said Nairobi was strategic to the hospital’s expansion of its operations in Africa to serve the rising demand for affordable modern healthcare.

“Kenya is the economic, commercial and logistical hub for all of East Africa, with Nairobi as a major centre of growth and foreign investment, so the city was a great fit for our first Columbia Africa facility,” he said.

Part of Seattle-based Columbia Pacific Management, Columbia Asia opened its first hospital in Malaysia in 1996 and over two decades has grown its footprint all over India, Malaysia, Vietnam and Indonesia.