GE Healthcare to Aid Modernization of Kenyan Hospitals

The Kenyan Ministry of Health (Nairobi, Kenya) has selected GE Healthcare (GE; Little Chalfont, United Kingdom) as a strategic partner for modernizing radiology services throughout the country.

Under the Kenyan national healthcare programme, GE will be involved in the modernization of radiology infrastructure in 94 hospitals across 47 counties, as well as in four national referral hospitals in the country. The agreement includes a long-term service contract, under which GE will install 585 units of diagnostic imaging equipment in the facilities, including X-ray and ultrasound systems. The radiology modernization is the largest of the seven part program of the Kenyan Government's healthcare transformation programme, with an estimated investment of USD 420 million.

GE will also establish a healthcare training center that will be operated jointly with an accredited local partner. The training center, the first of its kind to be established in Africa, will support training and education programs focusing on skills development and capacity building. The agreement between the Kenyan government and GE Healthcare is part of an ambitious healthcare reform, one of the main pillars in the Kenyan Vision 2030 Plan to transform Kenya into a rapidly industrializing middle-income nation by 2030.

“Disease patterns in Kenya are evolving, as are the needs of the healthcare system. In response to this, a central pillar of the health transformation strategy is aimed at strengthening preventative health services to help improve the long-term health outlook of the general population,” said Kenyan cabinet secretary for health James Macharia. “By increasing access to preventative screenings, we aim to aid doctors in better detecting, diagnosing and treating non-communicable diseases, including cancer and cardiovascular disease, at an early stage. As a leading global healthcare provider, we believe GE Healthcare is ideally placed to serve as our partner to deliver on this vision for earlier health.”

“Sustainable healthcare transformation requires a system-wide approach combining technology, capability building including training, service and maintenance, as well as long-term financing,” said Farid Fezoua, president of GE Healthcare Africa. “To that end, we are grateful to His Excellency, President Uhuru Kenyatta, the Cabinet Secretary, Mr. James Macharia, and the Ministry of Health, for their confidence in the competencies that GE can bring to improve system and patient outcomes, and we are deeply committed to ensuring the long-term impact and success of this transformation program.”

Related Links:
Kenyan Ministry of Health
GE Healthcare