KISUMU, KENYA, 20 February 2024 – Aga Khan Health Service, Kenya, today commemorates the expansion of the Aga Khan Hospital, Kisumu, which provides care to a population base of nearly 600,000 people and beyond to nearly 6.6 million people of the Lake Region of Kenya. The new, ultra-modern building has been transformed from the previous 70-bed facility into a leading 123-bed secondary hospital offering integrated health care services for the people it serves.
As the leading private hospital in the region, Aga Khan Hospital, Kisumu, has consistently expanded its presence and range of services since its establishment in 1952, proactively catering to the evolving needs of the community. The hospital currently serves over 15 counties in the Lake region bloc and even receives patients from Uganda and bordering towns of Tanzania. Over the years, the hospital has become a hub of qualified doctors and nurses who provide cutting-edge care to the community.
In keeping with this ethos, and in alignment with Aga Khan Health Services goal of building a ‘Hub and Spoke’ model, the Kisumu expansion includes a population base of nearly 600,000 people and beyond that to nearly 6.6 million people of the Lake Region already established 13 Outreach Health Centres with plans to establish ten more in the region. This will serve as the first line of care in the city and beyond and will establish a seamless network of healthcare facilities that will provide care at every level – from essential health services to community-based comprehensive care to specialist care at the Aga Khan Hospital, Kisumu.
The Aga Khan Hospital in Kisumu embarked on its expansion journey in 2015 by introducing an MRI facility. The commencement of the new building’s construction took place in 2021. This expansion endeavour, amounting to a total investment of US $18.99 million, was made feasible through a US $10.96 million (Ksh 1.4 billion) loan from Agence Francaise de Developpement (AFD) and contributions totalling US $8.03 million (Ksh 1.06 billion) from the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) and Internal Reserve.
This expansion is a testament to the steadfast partnership between the Government of Kenya, AFD, and AKDN to improve the country’s quality, consistency, and equitable healthcare delivery. In addition to its state-of-the-art specialised diagnostic services, the Hospital will also offer over 30 clinical specialties and subspecialties, including Cardiology, Oncology, Family Medicine, Endocrinology, Gastroenterology, Gynaecology, Nephrology, Neurosciences, Orthopaedics,
Paediatrics and Neonatology.
The collaboration between AFD, the Aga Khan Development Network and Aga Khan Health Services spans many years and many projects, including renovating the Aga Khan Hospital in Mombasa, which has helped significantly improve the Hospital’s services. The loan of US $8.54 million (Ksh 1.12 billion) by AFD and investment of US $3.6 million from the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) in the Mombasa hospital renovation further shows the deep commitment AFD and AKDN have made to drive accessibility of affordable quality healthcare in Kenya.
“Located in the central constituency of Kisumu, the third-largest city in the country, Aga Khan Hospital, Kisumu is pivotal to our mission of providing critical health services to a population base of nearly 600,000 people and beyond that to the nearly 6.6 million people of the Lake Region,” noted Princess Zahra Aga Khan, Chair of the Executive Committee of the Aga Khan Health Services. “By being part of a broader, integrated network, the Hospital is providing timely, fit-for-purpose care to the people who need it most. It is moving us closer to delivering on our mission of treating disease and caring for people holistically and completely.”
“The project we are celebrating today is a demonstration of AFD’s strong partnership with the Aga Khan Health Services. The project will help improve the health of Kenyans by positioning the Aga Khan Kisumu Hospital as a referral hospital for secondary care, supporting the various Outreach Health Centres affiliated with it in the larger Kisumu region. This Hospital extension, built with Aga Khan’s Green Building Initiative approach integrates green solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and an example of how hospitals can adapt to climate change while offering quality care.”, said Hélène N’GARNIM GANGA Regional Director Eastern Africa, AFD.
The newly expanded Aga Khan Hospital, Kisumu will broadly provide the people of the Lake Region and Kenya with access to new health services previously unavailable in the community. The new building will have a dedicated Accidents and Emergency Unit, a larger Intensive Care Unit, the first Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and the first Sleep Lab in the region, which will use cutting-edge technology to diagnose and treat sleep disorders. The Hospital, which has received a Level 5 certification (highest level certification) from SafeCare Health Standards, will also offer specialist care in cardiology, oncology, neurology, psychiatry, advanced surgeries, and more.
Aga Khan Hospital, Kisumu, is a leader in diagnostics in the region with a SANAS Certified laboratory, with tests ranging from molecular, histopathology, biochemistry, and serology; an imaging department that has a 1.5 Tesla M.R.I for precise diagnosis and a full suite of imaging tests ranging from a 64-slice dual-energy CT scan, to Mammography, Ultrasound and X-Rays. Other diagnostic tests are electromyography (EMG) and electroencephalogram (EEG), done in the neurophysiology lab.
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About the Partners:
Aga Khan Development Network & Aga Khan Health Service
Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) is a group of private, international, non-denominational agencies established by His Highness the Aga Khan, which partners with other like-minded organisations to help improve the quality of life of those in need irrespective of their origins, faith, or gender. Through initiatives in sectors such as healthcare, education, culture, rural development, institution building and the promotion of economic development, AKDN takes a multifaceted approach to help communities and individuals become self-reliant. The Network also espouses values and norms, including pluralism and cultural tolerance, gender and social equity, civil society organisation and good governance. The AKDN, therefore, has a holistic view of progress that goes beyond poverty alleviation to encompass a more rounded view of human experience and aspirations.
Aga Khan Health Services (AKHS) is one of three agencies of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) that supports healthcare activities, together with the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) and the Aga Khan University (AKU). Working to tackle today’s greatest health challenges in low- and middle-income countries, the three agencies of the AKDN provide quality healthcare to over eight million people annually and work closely on planning, training, and resource development. Through our focused presence in Central Asia, East Africa, and South Asia, AKHS operates 14 hospitals, medical centres, and 375+ health centres, offering one of the most comprehensive non-profit healthcare systems in the developing world. AKHS also works with the Aga Khan Education Service (AKES) and the Aga Khan Agency for Habitat (AKAH) on integrating health issues into other sectors.
AKHS operates in Afghanistan, India, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, and Uganda, with central coordination from AKDN offices in Geneva, Switzerland. The offices are linked internationally through network-wide strategies for regional geographies, and topics of importance to the agency, such as quality of care, digital health, virtual learning, climate change measures, population health, communication, human resource development and audit.
The Aga Khan Hospital, Kisumu
The Aga Khan Hospital, Kisumu was established in 1952 as a private, not-for-profit institution that provides primary, secondary, and tertiary level health care services in Kenya. In 2019, the hospital was awarded SafeCare Level 5 Certification and is part of the AKDN Health System in eight countries, which provides community health programmes covering over 200 health facilities, including 12 hospitals. The AKDN Health System is one of the most comprehensive private, not-for-profit healthcare systems in the developing world. In Kenya, the network operates three hospitals, one medical centre and over 70 outpatient centres. The Aga Khan Hospital provides general medical services, specialist clinics and state-of-the-art diagnostic services. It is also part of the Aga Khan Health Services international network, with links to the Aga Khan University Hospital in Nairobi and the Aga Khan University Hospital in Karachi.
Agence Française de Développement
The Agence Française de Développement (AFD) implements France’s policy on international development and solidarity. Through its financing of NGOs and the public sector, as well as its research and publications, AFD supports and accelerates transitions towards a fairer, more resilient world. It also provides training in sustainable development (at the AFD Campus) and other awareness-raising activities in France.
With our partners, we are building shared solutions with and for the people of the Global South.Our teams are at work on more than 4,000 projects in the field, in the French Overseas Departments and Territories, in 115 countries and in regions in crisis. We strive to protect global public goods – promoting a stable climate, biodiversity, and peace, as well as gender equality, education, and healthcare. In this way, we contribute to the commitment of France and the French people to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Towards a world in common.