We attended a group care meeting in Webuye, Kenya today and had the privilege of meeting Mercy*, who had just been diagnosed with diabetes. Mercy is a new member of a microfinance group there and had just been seen by a clinical officer for NCD screening. As part of the BIGPIC* project, health care clinics with a clinical officer are being included in microfinance group meetings in rural communities. By doing this, the project is demonstrating that patients with hypertension and diabetes can be retained in care so that they receive regular reviews and a constant supply of vital medications. Mercy was appropriately started on medication which was dispensed immediately and she will be seen for review at the next microfinance group meeting. This excellent, holistic, patient centred service in the heart of the community is a great example of primary care in action.
*The BIGPIC project is led by AMPATH and is part of the PCI Healthcare Innovation Programme, supported by Letshego. It focuses on addressing both medical and non-medical determinants of health. See more details in our previous blog here and in our case study here.
*Not her real name