The mobile clinics were identified as an instrument to strengthen existing health
infrastructure within the Kenya Health Sector Strategic Plan 2013- 2017. In line with
this, Beyond Zero adopted the mobile clinics as a One-Stop shop for delivering maternal
and child health services. The mobile clinics are an innovative approach responding to
inadequate access to primary healthcare services by bringing services closer to
populations. Mobile clinics respond to unmet health needs of hard-to-reach
communities. They link them -communities- to the wider health system by strengthening
outreach programs and the capacity of existing referral system.
Beyond Zero donated at least one mobile clinic to all the 47 counties in Kenya. The
mobile clinics routinely provide a myriad of free services and health education
messages. This has been scaled up through the Beyond Zero Medical Safaris as
instruments of delivering specialized healthcare services to communities.
One of the mobile clinics serves Laisamis and North Horr sub counties while the other one serves Saku and Moyale sub counties. Outreach activities are done under the direct supervision of the sub county health management teams. They identify the critical sites that require outreaches and plan for outreaches depending on need, distance to the nearest health facilities or where the communities have settled and near water points.
We have 16 outreach sites, 4 in each sub-county. Health facilities are far and wide apart, the only solution to bring health services closer to the communities is through the outreaches. At one visit so many health activities go on and this include antenatal care, specialized care like having a mobile ultra sound where a risk pregnancy can be detected and referred early, they offer immunization, growth monitoring, health education, treatment of minor ailments such as diarrhoea, upper respiratory tract infection and dispense drugs.
It’s a comprehensive and multi-departmental approach, which ensure maximum use of outreaches. Marsabit County needs outreaches because it is vast, and the communities are predominantly pastoralists. They move and leave behind the static health facilities. The outreaches are the best way to go. Without that, we wouldn’t have achieved the indicators that we have now; reduced maternal mortality, improved immunization coverage, improved ANC visits. We are grateful to Her Excellency for donating two mobile clinics given the vastness of the county.
We have been using the clinic since it was donated in 2015. We have put in our work plan to have at least one outreach per subcounty monthly. We have 6 sub counties, in a month we conduct at least 6 outreaches. We use the mobile clinic to reach the unreached. Whereas the county government has built health facilities, we still have underserved populations and we want to reduce the distance that mothers and their babies travel to reach health facilities.
We have integrated services which include immunization, ANC, family planning, PNC, cervical cancer screening, curative services, growth monitoring, and Vitamin A supplementation. When the mobile clinic goes out it has a package; the primary healthcare package. We also went ahead to integrate eye clinics in the rural areas where over 200 people were screened and 100 cataract surgeries done.
We modified the mobile clinic to have a minor theatre where minor surgeries can be conducted from. The mobile clinic has an impact as we are able to offer primary healthcare services for all the populations, both men and women.”
Rose Micheni, County Nursing Officer
Catherine Machimbo, County Nursing Officer,
“We have a schedule for the Beyond Zero clinic within Endebess Sub County which is developed at the beginning of the year. During outreaches, the team provides services such as treatment of minor ailments, ANC, PNC, HIV testing & counselling for pregnant mothers and general population, family planning, immunization, HPV vaccine for girls aged 10 years”.
Gladys Gathoni, SCPHN Endebess Sub County
“I’m pregnant and was expecting the Beyond Zero Clinic to come today so I can get ANC services. We happy because the services are free and are grateful to Her Excellency Margaret Kenyatta for the Beyond Zero mobile clinic, it has reduced the cost of having to travel far as it comes to the community.”
Josphine Nekesa, beneficiary Endebess Sub County.
Eunice Wairimu, Beyond Zero Mobile Clinic Beneficiary
“I’m very happy because the services offered during the mobile clinic outreaches are free of charge.”
Monica Wambui, Beyond Zero Mobile Clinic Beneficiary Nyandarua County
CELEBRATING
10 YEARS OF
BEYOND ZERO
Inspiring action; changing lives.
- 1,246,633 people received primary health services through mobile clinics outreaches.
- Over 50,000 participants in the Beyond Zero Half Marathons.
- Over 200 partners mobilized in support of Beyond Zero programs.
- 35 million people reached with health promotion messages.
- Over 450 high level engagements lending voice to key health issues.
- Over 45,000 households reached with free health services through the Medical Safaris.