Ordinary Touch Volunteers

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How a local NGO is confronting Challenges to rural health care in Kenya.

 

 

By Rehema Were

 

When you imagine thousands of sick and hurt people lined up in the pre-dawn hours, asleep on queues and traveling hundreds of kilometers to receive medical help, you probably of thinking of healthcare in Africa. That scene plays out very often when thousands of people travel to receive care from free medical camps. Ordinary Touch Volunteers, a Community Based organization that provides free medical care to people in remote, underserved locations knows this better. Originally founded to, among other things, provide primary care to remote regions in Matungu Sub-county, OTV now travels across the expansive Kakamega County hosting clinics for people in rural areas where, increasingly, hospitals are closing and access to health care can be hard to find.

Rural hospitals provide essential health care services to the majority of Kenyans and are often an integral part of the local economy, providing jobs and a tax base for the community. According to the local authorities, 10 rural hospitals have closed since 2010 in the County. A recent report says that 41 percent of rural hospitals operate at a negative margin. Rural hospitals across the country are struggling to survive, but why?

 

Vulnerabilities due to funding challenges

Because rural populations tend to include elderly and lower income individuals, hospitals in these areas collect more of their revenue from cash payments than hospitals within a city because the rural population tend to uninsured. Because of this dependence on cash payments, any changes to economy or economic activities can acutely affect rural hospitals already in precarious financial positions.

 

Health disparities in rural populations

Differences in the health needs of rural and urban populations contribute to the struggle of rural hospitals. Rural areas serve a higher proportion of elderly adults, veterans and poor people than urban areas. These are populations that often have more frequent and complex health needs. Rural populations also have a higher incidence of disease, including diabetes, a leading cause of death in the country. These health needs can strain rural hospitals that may already be short on resources. The large geographic distances of rural areas can also make it more difficult for individuals with chronic conditions to access care, which can compound the severity of these health issues. 

Sometimes rural hospitals find ways to remain open, but that may mean cutting services, and often those cuts begin with maternity services. According to the latest American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, only 6 percent of the nation’s ob-gyns work in rural areas.  For the millions of women who live in these maternity deserts, this means driving up to an hour for prenatal care. 

For many patients in rural locations, the availability of a rural hospital is the foundation of the patient experience. Rural hospitals and the services they provide are an important health care lifeline, and one that needs to be supported to continue to provide care to millions of individuals who aren’t near metropolitan areas.

 

 

Support to rural healthcare

A not-for-profit organization Ordinary Touch Volunteers was originally established in to provide support to the local communities in the areas of agriculture and educational support. After quickly realizing that economic empowerment is not achievable without good health, it incorporated healthcare as one of its major objectives. Now, OTV partners with likeminded local and international organizations and well-wishers to conduct free medical camps so as to take the load off the rural hospitals by targeting preventative health.

The free medical camps provides screening for most diseases. The patients are then referred to the hospitals for early intervention. The volunteers at OTV are comprised of both retired and active healthcare workers, healthcare administration professionals, Dietitians, etc. OTV also provides a range of management and technology assistance to local hospitals to help them stay open.

But keeping a rural hospital’s doors open to ensure the community has access to care is just the first component of the patient experience. Caregivers showing genuine concern and compassion, providing their undivided attention, and demonstrating expertise when asked questions are among the many variables that factor into the patient experience equation. Utilizing the tools and efficiencies made available through collaboration and partnership allow all facets of the care team to more effectively provide care and improve the health outcomes of their community.

Rural population is an integral part of Kenya’s fabric — it’s where our food is grown, our livestock is raised and our gold is mined. Geography shouldn’t be a factor in the quality of a person’s health care — when rural hospitals can stay open, these communities not only survive, they and the rest of the country benefit.