Increasing Access to Medical Care for Children
Around the world, FINCA International works to make life-changing resources more widely available to low-income communities. One of the ways we do this is through supporting access to medical care for underserved populations. This is particularly important for young children and babies, as many families cannot afford medical care for children.
FINCA partner, Penda Health, is just one of the organizations we’re working with to make medical services more widely available. Through their exceptional business model and emphasis on patient care, they are providing quality health services in Kenya at prices people can afford.
Penda’s Well-Baby Exams
With 13,800 children under the age of 5 dying every day from mostly preventable or treatable causes, providing access to medical care for children is a crucial part of the mission to make healthcare accessible to low-income communities. One of the unique services that Penda Health provides is its affordable “well baby exam” packages. The visits are recommended every 3 months and can cost 50-75% less than the same services at other facilities. In each visit, a nurse meets with a parent and their baby and provides a full exam. The nurse measures the baby’s height and weight, does an overall health checkup, makes any necessary recommendations for vitamins or supplements, and administers all the vaccinations recommended for that age.
Medical Care for Children: Monica and Gianna’s Experience
Monica Waringa Gicia is just one of the many mothers who choose to bring their babies to Penda Health. She first started coming to Penda for her son’s well-baby exams 3 years ago. She now brings her daughter Gianna who is currently 6 months old. Before she made the switch to Penda’s medical care for children, Monica was taking her son to a different facility that was closer to her home. However, she switched to Penda because the prices are lower and the quality is better. Despite having to travel farther, Monica still saves money at Penda because the cost of services with the added transportation is less money overall than those services at the last facility she used.
Monica is also much happier with the care she receives for her children at Penda Health. Not only are there more services available, but she likes that Penda staff really care about her baby’s health and well-being. The nurse who sees Gianna remembers her from visit to visit and always follows up to make sure her next appointment is scheduled. Monica is so happy with the services at Penda health that she recommends every parent bring their baby to Penda.
I would tell [other parents] to come. The facilities are great, they are affordable, the staff are caring, they do follow ups with your children, if they have an issue they tell you what to do after that, they have a [phone] line you can call if you need follow up and they’ll advise you more on what to do at home or they’ll refer you to a facility close to you. I would tell them to come. They’ll be safe at Penda.
-Monica Waringa Gicia, Penda Health Patient Mother
