By Joseph Kabia
The health care system in Kenya is set to benefit from low cost medical imaging equipment and consequently reduce the rising medical cost to improve population health.
In a partnership deal between Kenya Osteoporosis Prevention and Age Concern (OPAC), a Kenyan based health NGO, and Block Imaging International, based in Michigan, USA, the Kenyan health sector is bound to receive a great boost in the provision of refurbished high quality imaging equipment and training for the physicians and Radiographers.
Mr. Joseph Gichuki, the CEO Osteoporosis Kenya, said that, โIn terms of health care, Kenya is leading in the provision of the best services in East African region. But there are only a few DXA Block Imaging International machines to measure bone density in East Africa region and they are all based in Nairobi.
โ He said the entry of Block Imaging International as a partner and an investor in the Kenyan Health care system brings, โtotal revolution in the imaging sector if well embraced by private and public sectors.โ He said that Kenya is a developing economy in need of such partnerships like Block Imaging International that is ready to provide refurbished imaging equipment at affordable prices, training and maintenance.
โWe specialize in refurbished imaging equipment. We extend the life of medical imaging equipment so that doctors worldwide can extend the lives of people they serve. Block Imaging International is the global market leader when it comes to refurbished medical imaging equipment, and we believe no one does more than we doโ, said Mr. Samba Saidy, Africa Account Executive at the Block Imaging International, speaking in a conference call from Holt, Michigan, USA.
He said that Block Imaging is a US based company and โalmost 50 per cent of what we do is done locally here in the USA and the rest across the globe. All our refurbished systems go through a rigorous refurbishment process that meets or exceeds the OEM specifications for image quality, cosmetic appearance and overall performance.
We do not only sell thousands of equipment globally; we also provide thousands of imaging parts annually.โ He said. โAt Block Imaging, we strongly believe that people matter. It happens a million times a week, the course of oneโs life and family is impacted by the results of a medical imaging scan.
Across the globe, each imaging report is significant to the individual and the family receiving the news; good or bad. From our commitment to making high quality imaging equipment, parts and service available to people around the world, to the way we engage our customersย and communities-life is a gift-and extending a second chance for more people to live out a fuller life, be there for their loved ones and make a difference in this world is our ultimate mission.โ He said.
โMy hope and expectation is that when all is said and done, you would look back and say with confidence, I am glad we chose to partner with Block Imagingโ, said Samba. Osteoporosis is a little known disease that affects human bones, making them weak and susceptible to fractures. In Kenya, the prevalence of Osteoporosis disease among Kenyan post-menopausal women currently stands at 24.5 per cent.
โ L a c k o f d i a g n o s t i c equipment, mostly imaging, and their high cost has been a great hindrance in the treatment of osteoporosis and other disease in Kenya. Our organization is ready to assist all the established and upcoming health facilities to engage in the most reasonable way, with Block Imaging, to receive a two year period of equipment repayment of all types of medical imaging, like Bone Densitometry, C-Arm, and Mammography, CT, MRI, Cath Lab, X-Ray among others,โ said Mr. Gichuki.
He said that his organization in partnership with Amref- health Africa and the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF), Block Imaging International and the International Society for Clinical Densitometry (ISCD), will train Kenyan physicians, Radiographers and nurses on the Essentials of osteoporosis.
He said his organization is liaising with regional health facilities in need of medical imaging solutions to discuss on the modalities of installations and training.
