With Ilara, I see us climbing up the next rung, achieving better progress which translates to better health care for these people. I desire to partner with Ilara Health on a bigger scale, and this is a conversation I am keen on getting going with the company.”
On a sunny Saturday morning at Nairobi’s Githurai 44, pregnant women make their way to Githurai Medical Clinic, beaming with expectation. This clinic is nestled in a busy environment where different activities are ongoing. The distant burr of conversation from apartments atop businesses on the ground floor of old buildings, hooting vehicles, tuk-tuk drivers calling out to potential customers, clunks of hammer on nails driven into wood by a carpenter, the crackling noises of a welder’s machine at a metalwork shop, and kids shrieking with joy while playing along the streets.
Inside Githurai Medical Clinic, a queue is growing rapidly in the waiting area. Pregnant women sit a meter apart to observe the Covid-19 regulations. A nurse calls them by turn, one at a time, and the rest slide on the seat to move a spot closer to the sonographer’s room. These women are happy, for, on this day, they’ve received a deal they had never heard of, that of ultrasound scans at a discounted rate and free consultation. But how is this even possible?
Ilara Health partners with facilities to offer monthly scanning sessions
Ilara Health’s growth department identified a gap in medical services, at facilities that are unable to immediately acquire our probe but have the potential to offer ultrasound scan services. Driven by the unfaltering resolve to provide affordable health care for all, Ilara Health came up with an arrangement where a medical facility leases our rotating probe on a monthly basis and invites the community for a full-day diagnostics and treatment session. The clinic provides a sonographer, and if they do not have their own, Ilara Health links them to one.
Ilara Health also offers marketing support to the facility, by creating marketing flyers, banners, and posters. The Saturday of 17th of April 2021 was a monthly scanning session day at Githurai Medical Clinic.
Every morning I am happy to come to the clinic, driven by a desire to serve the community
In an interview with Nancy Njuguna, the owner of the clinic, she tells me that purpose and compassion for the community have driven her, and they motivate her every day in the running of this clinic.
“I have worked here for a long time now, creating a bond with the people living around. I am part of this community. Every morning I am happy to come to the clinic, driven by a desire to serve the community.”
Nancy, a certified nurse who has employed 7 staff members to help her in this clinic, says things have been visibly different thanks to the partnership with Ilara Health. “This is the first time we are offering ultrasound scans, and I can tell you the numbers are overwhelming! This community clearly needed the service and I am happy that we have made it possible. You can see the queue outside, and more women are still placing calls seeking to register for a slot.”
Keen to know what the outcome has been so far, I ask Nancy whether they’ve been able to treat any patient.
“Oh yes, and that makes me happy. A few minutes ago, we have made a very important diagnosis. There is this lady who has a pregnancy complication which the sonographer has detected. We have started the process of treating her. We will be able to offer her better care.”
“Is this session something you’d want again for your facility?” I ask.
“Definitely,” she says, narrowing her eyes in thought as if remembering. When she speaks, it’s in a ruminative tone.
“I’ve been here for so long. I remember every progress we have made over the years. With Ilara, I see us climbing up the next rung, achieving better progress which translates to better health care for these people. I desire to partner with Ilara Health on a bigger scale, and this is a conversation I am keen on getting going with the company.”
It’s the first time I am getting an ultrasound scan so close to home
Inside the sonographer’s room, I meet Eric, in his lab coat, talking to a patient. The patient is keenly observing the ultrasound images Eric is pointing at on his iPhone tab. The only sonographer here today, Eric agrees that he is overwhelmed, but satisfied with the progress. He then introduces me to his patient, Mary.
“The reason I am happy and grateful to this clinic is that for the first time ever, I have accessed this scan closer to home. It’s also very affordable, and I’ve received free consultation.”
By the time I’m leaving the clinic, it is 3 p.m. The sun is hot, the streets even busier. There are more patients waiting in line. Two nurses pace around the clinic, attending to the patients. The sonographer is still in his room, serving one patient at a time. Nancy is in her office, offering consultation to the women. As I hitch my bag up my shoulder and step out into the street, I smile. Rays of the sun immediately stretch their fingertips and warm the nape of my neck. But the warmth in my heart is greater and satisfying, for I am happy that better healthcare has been brought to this community.
Do you own a medical facility and you would love to partner with Ilara Health to bring better healthcare to your community?
These are the benefits of partnering with us to lease our Butterfly iQ ultrasound scan device, for monthly diagnostics sessions:
1. Earn extra money while offering affordable health care to your patients
2. Increase your impact level, while strengthening relationships with your patients since these sessions are monthly. Customer satisfaction and trust will be achieved as a currency in business.
3. Ilara Health will help market your facility by providing a banner, flyers, and posters.
We are committed to walking this journey with you. Contact us today to lease a device.
