Improving healthcare access to vulnerable Communities In rural areas 

In a world budding with digital and technological innovations, comes a cutting edge system centered around healthcare: the BandaGo System. The software is developed and provided by Banda Health, a Public Charity Organization co-founded by Dr. Steve Letchford, aimed at addressing an urgent need in kenya: improving healthcare access to vulnerable communities in rural areas. 

Their targets are clinics based in rural low income earning areas, where people often have a difficult time accessing quality healthcare. 

According to Mr Haron Wachira, CEO of Akili Group, “BandaGo is a system that a clinic uses to record all the details of a patient’s information, such as their illnesses, working both administratively and from a clinical point of view.”

The System gives a clinic the ability to keep and track records, patient- related or otherwise, including financial ones, all from an online central system. The result? A highly organized and well-run clinic that can easily access a patient’s historical medical information at the touch of a button, quickly diagnose and address patient illnesses, and maintain a well-stocked inventory.

2022 saw the initialization of partnership between Banda Health and Akili Group – through a symbiotic partnership that aligns with Banda Go’s Mission to improve access and quality of healthcare in rural Kenya and Akili’s Mission to improve the quality of life for rural families in its target areas of operation.

“Our partnership with Banda Health is part of our commitment to dramatically improve, in a positive way, the life of the rural communities that we work with.” – Mr Haron Wachira, CEO of Akili Group.

Thus far, this partnership has resulted in two local clinics fully integrating the BandaGo software as their Management System.

Among the two clinics is Emmanuel Community Health Clinic based in Kiamariga Market, Karatina in Nyeri County. The clinic, which was founded in 2009 by Dr. David Kinyua, is run by a support staff made up of a front desk officer, cashier, record holder and a watchman. Dr Kinyua is also joined by three nurses and his wife – a clinician – who all work on a temporary basis.

According to Dr Kinyua, “Before incorporating the system, there was always a problem in terms of accessing medical and patient information. For instance, I was the only one who knew how much each drug at the clinic cost. This meant that, even while treating patients and running the clinic, I’d have to constantly be the person to provide information to the nurses….” 

However, since integrating the BandaGo Management system, he has been able to improve the efficiency of the clinic. 

“I can access the System from anywhere, as long as I am connected to the internet. This allows me to oversee things even from home!”  

Impressed by the software, Dr Kinyua has spread the word about it to other clinics in his area and integrated it into his other clinic based in Nyeri – Emmanuel Community Health Clinic Nyeri Satellite. 

Since the installation of the BandaGo software, the Emmanuel Health Clinic has increased the number of patients they attend to daily. The number has markedly increased from 5 to 8 patients per day, which is a 37.5% increase – a notable improvement given the short timeframe since installation of the software. 

It’s clear, through this partnership,  the vision for a brighter future for rural healthcare in Akili target areas is within reach. Akili Group is excited to be part of this partnership, and is looking forward to helping improve the lives of many more rural Kenyan households.