FHI Celebrates Scale-Up at Kenyan Medical Center

JUNE 2009 — Bomu Medical Centre in Mombasa, Kenya, started out in 1979 as a small dispensary housed in a single-story building. Thirty years later, BMC celebrated the grand opening of a newly constructed wing, a necessary expansion to keep up with the growing number of patients coming to the center for high-quality, low-cost healthcare. The US Ambassador to Kenya, His Excellency Mr Michael Ranneberger, and other Kenyan dignitaries took part in the grand opening ceremony, symbolizing BMC's success as the largest HIV care and treatment program in Kenya's Coast Province.

The opening of the new wing was also significant for Family Health International, marking FHI's 10-year involvement in BMC's efforts. FHI/Kenya Country Director Mr Peter Mwarogo, who attended the launch, noted FHI's decade of commitment to the project: with funding from USAID, FHI worked with the Mkomani Clinic Society to implement an HIV prevention, care, and treatment program in BMC, emphasizing access and affordability for the poor and underserved in and around Mombasa.

The collaboration began with peer education outreach among low-income adults for HIV prevention. Later, a comprehensive HIV care program was built, one of the first in Kenya. Now BMC offers free HIV care and low-cost outpatient and maternity care, including prevention of mother-to-child transmission services. Free services include consultations, drugs, X-rays, and a broad range of blood tests. In addition to patient care and monitoring, BMC provides active TB case finding in urban slums, health education in the community and schools, counseling and testing, and post-test clubs to follow-up and support patients after HIV testing.

The center conducts 300 lab tests each day and sees an average of 280 outpatients per day. 5,558 adults have enrolled in HIV care at BMC since its founding, according to provisional data from FHI/Mombasa. 1,777 BMC patients are on antiretroviral treatment and 5,176 adults are on prophylaxis, or receiving non-ART care.

The new BMC wing, funded by US agencies including USAID, PEPFAR, and CDC, boasts a comprehensive care center, laboratory, operating theater, maternal and child health service area, maternity wards, and children's play area. With continued support from FHI and a range of local and international donors and agencies, BMC plans to continue its expansion, maintaining its vision of serving families and children in need of comprehensive HIV care.

PHOTO: His Excellency Mr Michael Ranneberger, US Ambassador to Kenya, cuts the ceremonial ribbon. Joining him are, from left, Hon Ramadhan Kajembe, MP for Changamwe and Assistant Minister for Environment and Mineral Resources; Mr Peter Mwarogo, FHI Country Director; Mrs Hayati Anjarwalla, BMC Executive Director; and to the far right, Mr Warren Buckingham, PEPFAR Country Coordinator.