The lender intends to open one health centre dubbed ‘Equity Afia’ in every country in the next five years.
The bank is currently supporting five clinics in Thika, Buru Buru, Ongata Rongai, Kayole and Kawangware.
Equity does not own the clinics, but offers support services like loans from an entrepreneurship fund and bulk buying of medicine and equipment for doctors wishing to set up such centres.
Equity Group Holdings #ticker:EQTY is set to open clinics outside Nairobi and Thika as the lender seeks a presence in all 47 counties over the next five years.
James Mwangi, the CEO of Equity Bank says that the lender intends to open one health centre dubbed ‘Equity Afia’ in every country in the next five years.
The bank is currently supporting five clinics in Thika, Buru Buru, Ongata Rongai, Kayole and Kawangware.
The health business is run as a franchised network under the bank’s social arm — Equity Group Foundation (EGF) — which the regional lender says offers “affordable and high quality” healthcare.
The lender does not own the clinics, but offers support services like loans from an entrepreneurship fund and bulk buying of medicine and equipment for doctors wishing to set up such centres.
“Roll-out plan will break barriers that the general population have to accessing quality comprehensive primary healthcare services,” said Mr Mwangi
“Equity Afia have adopted a very affordable pricing structure for their quality services and drugs with outpatient consultation with a medical doctor starting from Sh500.”
EGF hired a management team made of professionals like a chief nursing officer, chief laboratory technologist, finance manager and an IT manager to oversee operations of the network of health facilities.
The push for a presence in the counties comes as Kenya face a shortage of doctors with specialised skills in far-flung hospitals, forcing patients to pay to travel to the capital Nairobi.
Kenya’s doctor-to-patient ratio is one to 16,000, according to official data, far below a recommendation of the UN World Health Organisation of one to 1,000.
Some of the top hospitals which have lately been opening satellite clinics across Kenya include Aga Khan University Hospital, Gertrude’s Children’s Hospital, Avenue Healthcare, Mater Hospital and Nairobi Hospital.
There has also been a shift from infectious to non-communicable diseases such as cancer and diabetes due to lifestyle changes, which has created demand for specialised tests and treatment.
The ‘Equity Afia’ chain of clinics is seeking to have a larger presence in the medical imaging services such as ultra sounds and x-rays as well as dental services.
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