New one-stop treatment brings relief to patients

 

Under the M-Care programme, patients will no longer be directed to different clinics for separate conditions. [Boniface Gikandi, Standard]

There is a ray of hope for hundreds of patients in Murang’a suffering from multiple non-communicable diseases (NCDs), following a programme that will facilitate access to treatment for different conditions under one roof in a new health model being piloted in the county.

Under the M-Care programme, funded by the European Commission, patients will no longer be directed to different clinics for separate conditions. Instead, the current system will be integrated into a holistic care model, while healthcare workers will be trained and equipped to provide a wider range of services.

The five-year project will establish a one-stop clinic where patients suffering from conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and other chronic illnesses will be screened and treated during the same visit.

Annie Njogo, a resident of Mioro village in Mathioya, has lived with hypertension for more than 10 years and is among those expected to benefit from the programme. She often moves between clinics when seeking treatment at Murang’a Level Five Hospital.

Three years ago, her life took a new turn after she was diagnosed with a tumour in her head, requiring her to make frequent visits to the health facility for monitoring.

“I see a physician and neurosurgeon on the same day, as some ailments such as colds and joint aches are ignored because treatment is centred on the tumour and hypertension,” she said.

The pilot project, implemented by the African Population and Health Research Centre (APHRC), the Ministry of Health and Murang’a County Government, seeks to address gaps in the management of patients suffering from multiple conditions who are currently treated in separate clinics.

Under the new model, healthcare workers will be trained to assess patients for both physical and mental health conditions during the same visit, reducing the need for patients to move from one clinic to another.

During the launch of the project, Dr Gershim Asiki, a senior research scientist at APHRC and the Kenyan principal investigator, said the concept would benefit hundreds of patients who face numerous challenges while seeking treatment at different clinics.

In Murang’a County, the project will be implemented in 100 of the county’s 170 health facilities. The facilities will be monitored for a year to assess the effectiveness of the integrated care model.

He said some conditions remain undetected under the current system, particularly mental health conditions among patients attending chronic disease clinics.

“Most often, people present for care with more than two conditions, either hypertension and depression or anxiety and diabetes, but when they are assessed, one condition is missed,” said Dr Asiki.

He said NCDs were on the rise, particularly in Kenya, Ghana and South Africa, creating a need for better ways of treating and managing them.

“The M-Care project will focus on one-stop clinics, training of health workers, use of electronic health records, improvement of the diagnosis process and provision of quality medicine,” he said, adding that similar programmes were being established by APHRC in Ghana and Uganda.

Prof Charles Agyemang of Amsterdam  University Medical Centre said the programme would make it easier for patients with multiple conditions to access comprehensive care at a single facility, reducing the challenges they face.

He said that the model would be particularly beneficial to patients in rural and low-income communities because it would reduce transport expenses.

Healthcare workers in participating facilities will receive training on integrated NCD and mental health care, while electronic medical records will be used to provide clinical decision support.

The project will also strengthen diagnostic capacity by providing equipment for monitoring blood pressure, blood sugar, height and weight, among other services.

Dr Mercy Karanja, Head of the Division of Mental Health at the Ministry of Health, said integrating mental health screening into NCD services would help identify patients who might otherwise go untreated. She said the one-stop model was in line with the Ministry’s efforts to bring mental healthcare closer to communities and improve treatment for people living with chronic illnesses.

Dr James Mburu, Murang’a County Director for Health, said the county was ready to support the initiative as it sought to improve the management of the growing burden of NCDs.

“In the county, we have invested in health infrastructure, digital health systems, medicines and healthcare technologies, creating a favourable environment for the project,” he said.