TLP’S HEALTHCARE PROGRAMS

An acute asthma attack shouldn’t warrant a trip to the hospital. However, it easily can if you’re a frightened parent without an understanding of your child’s medical condition or unable to afford the medication required to treat them. Cases such as this - a young girl who was one of the first patients to be transported on The Leo Project’s ambulance - evidence the need for comprehensive and accessible healthcare within our community. 

In mid-August 2023, The Caitlin O’Hara Community Health Clinic opened its doors to the public. As our largest health initiative to date, this project involved years of meticulous planning. To become operational, we needed to consult local doctors and hospital personnel, form a partnership with the Kenyan Ministry of Health (MoH) and collaborate with global health specialists. One such organization - Build Health International - lended their expertise in medical infrastructure to lay the groundwork for our facility. Drawing from BHI’s robust experience in public healthcare systems, we ensured our clinic was designed sustainably, for optimal flow of treatment. 

Clinic activity over the last 3+ months confirms the importance of, and appreciation for, our highly researched operations. Our goal of offering accessible and holistic healthcare to our community has been realized through the treatment of almost 4,000 clinic patients in just over 90 days. 

The accessibility of our healthcare offerings renders us exceedingly in-demand. Our services are the most affordable in Laikipia County, offered at the lowest possible cost for the purposes of sustainability. Clients register for 100 KSH (~ $1 USD), and pay 50 KSH (~ .50 USD) for each returning visit. Every medication and laboratory test is offered at cost. Our pricing structure has been well-received by community members and has fostered more autonomous healthcare. One local mother, Mama Ekai, expressed her satisfaction - 

“My twins are two months old but I have not been in a position to take them to clinics due to financial constraints and lack of medications anyway at my local dispensary. I will definitely be bringing them to The Leo Project’s Clinic as it is unbelievably affordable. They will walk this journey with my babies until they are big boys.” 

We’ve become the first choice for care, even for patients who live nearer to other facilities. Patient feedback indicates that our holistic and comprehensive approach to care sets us apart - 

“I have been to the clinic and the service I experienced then, I have not experienced in any other clinic for the past 31 years. The clinic is so clean, warm and has the best smiles welcoming you. You get better even before being treated. That is why I brought my sister in law today. I know she will get the best service at an affordable price.” 

Comments such as these demonstrate that the quality of care we provide exceeds expectations. The following feedback reflects our high standard of care -

"I am very satisfied with the care I received at this facility. The staff were friendly, respectful and attentive to my needs. They listened to my concerns and explained everything clearly. They also followed up with me after my visit to make sure I was doing well. I appreciate their efforts to improve the quality of care for patients like me."

The Caitlin O’Hara Community Health Clinic’s eight-person team is led by Frankie, the Clinic Director, who supports the team of Grace - Health Records Officer, Njeri - Clinical Officer, Alice - Maternal Child Health (MCH) Nurse, Yvonne - Community Health Nurse, Mary - Pharmacy Technologist, Joyce - Laboratory Technologist, Daniella - Psychologist and Antony - Ambulance Officer. Collectively, they treat approximately 50 patients a day. 

The specialization and kindness of our staff complements the impressive outfitting of our facility. Our clinic houses a fully equipped laboratory, a stocked pharmacy, an ECG machine and a point of care ultrasound probe. Services offered at The Caitlin O’Hara Community Health Clinic include primary health, nutrition, and sexual and reproductive services, with added focus placed on maternal and child care. We supplement the services at our clinic by performing medical outreach, with our mobile health clinics enabling us to reach 200 additional patients.

Maintaining our holistic focus, we prioritize mental health services. Our full-time psychologist provides one-to-one counseling and hosts a monthly psychiatric review clinic. These mental health services have been particularly successful and well-received by the community. 

At the Caitlin O’Hara Community Health Clinic, we are driven by the core tenet that equitable access to quality healthcare is a basic human right. Determined to address the distinct needs of our community, we identified a significant absence of pre- and post-natal care. We learned of women going to full-term pregnancy without a single doctor’s visit as well as cases of death during childbirth. To address this concern, we are providing access to obstetric ultrasounds, comprehensive laboratory testing, mental health services, family planning, supplements and immunizations. In 2024, we plan to build a maternity wing. Njeri, our Clinical officer, is particularly passionate about maternal healthcare - 

“One of the greatest feelings is the satisfaction I get when I see a pregnant woman walking out of our facility with a full ANC profile blood test. Most maternal and infant mortality occur because of missed dangers that are well recognized with good antenatal care and follow-up." 

Through commodities negotiated in our partnership with the Kenyan Ministry of Health (MoH), the majority of this care is offered free of cost to women. All of the women who visit for antenatal care have expressed a desire for The Caitlin O'Hara Community Health Clinic to offer maternity services. After her check-up, one woman remarked - 

“I appreciate your services and I wish you had a maternity ward, I would have delivered my baby here who is due this month. I will visit the clinic again before the due date.”

We want to empower our community to live healthy lives. Preventative medicine and health education make this possible. A priority agenda item for 2024 is to hire a full-time Nutritionist. Malnutrition is prevalent in our community. Proper nutrition, clean water and improved sanitary practices can mitigate the risk of avoidable illness. 

We are changing lives one patient at a time. The pressing need for holistic and affordable medicine appears in the stories of patients traveling hours on foot to receive our services. Njeri, our Clinical Officer, recounts - 

“A woman and a man walked into my consultation room at about 11AM. Greetings were exchanged and here came the time for the consultation to start. The woman - so grateful - shook my hand and started talking to me of how happy she was with the service. The couple, aged in their 50s, had walked from 6AM and arrived at our facility at 10AM. That's a 4 hour walk. My jaw was almost picked from the floor. This was kilometers and kilometers away. So I was curious why they chose our facility and I got an answer that melted my heart - ‘I heard about this facility and a woman who came here with joint pains for 2 months is now walking around almost playing football. So I decided to come here and I am happy. I feel healed even without taking my medication. Asante sana and God bless you all‘“

Since we operate in a rural area, an ambulance allows us to address transportation as an impediment to care. Our ambulance provides emergency transfers to higher-care facilities for urgent cases. We have seen episodes of seizure, ectopic pregnancy, and diabetic ketoacidosis that required immediate transport. With 23 rides and over 2,500 kms traveled since inception, The Leo Project ambulance has been a critical addition to our medical services. 

A leading priority for 2024 is to offer 24-hour emergency response services via our ambulance. Currently, we have one driver active between 9am and 6pm. We are unable to attend to 10 emergency calls per week due to the limited availability of our vehicle. Our ambulatory services have been particularly well received by the community, and many have expressed a desire for it to be accessible 24/7. James, the Community Health Promoter Chairman commented that -

"It takes little time to get the [Leo] ambulance rather than the county ambulance which has a lot of processes before accessing it. One can easily communicate to the ambulance without using someone's permission. The next thing would be to have the ambulance available at night because there is a big need in the community for these services." 

We are determined to expand our reach to provide life-saving care to even more individuals in need. Over the next year, we will continue to optimize our community-based model. In 2024, we will initiate plans with Build Health International for a clinic expansion. With increased laboratory capacity, additional medical services, and a full-time ambulance (or two) we will continue fulfilling our promise that The Caitlin O’Hara Community Health Clinic provides accessible, equitable and affordable healthcare. Our legacy is just beginning - 

“I have never seen such a facility like this before. It is the best one in Laikipia County in terms of the services, the layout and the ambiance. People will be coming to this facility to learn and see what is being done here.” - Mr. Albert Taiti, CECM of Health in Nanyuki, Kenya