Columbia Asia sets up first of its kind continental specialty clinic in Kenya
Asia’s fastest growing healthcare entity Columbia Asia has set base in Kenya as it looks to extend its foot hold in Africa.
In what industry players interpret as growing preference of Kenya by multinationals due to its strategic location and burgeoning middle class, the opening of a new facility by Columbia Asia is touted as one among many expected in coming months.
The Kenyan facility by Columbia Asia is the first one in Africa and is a 5,300-square-foot multi-specialty clinic and diagnostic center operating under a new brand, Columbia Africa.
Columbia Asia, part of Seattle-based Columbia Pacific Management, has 27 hospitals and one clinic in India, Malaysia, Vietnam and Indonesia, built with an innovative business model focused on serving a rapidly growing middle class with modern and efficient multi-specialty facilities located close to where patients live and work.
The new clinic in Nairobi specializes in family medicine, internal medicine, paediatrics, gynaecology, general surgery, orthopaedics, ophthalmology and dental care.
The facility offers health checks, as well as telemedicine to allow patients to consult with specialist doctors at Columbia Asia hospitals.
“Kenya is the economic, commercial and logistical hub for all of East Africa, with Nairobi as a major centre of growth and foreign investment, so the city was a great fit for our first Columbia Africa facility,” John Northen, Group Chief Executive Officer of Columbia Asia.
The Nairobi clinic also has a patient services centre to facilitate patients travelling for surgery at Columbia Asia hospitals in Asia, which had already been receiving a significant number of patients from East Africa.
“Africa has become a growing market for us, as patients are increasingly seeking multi-specialty, affordable healthcare services delivered at international standards,” Northen added.
Columbia Asia opened its first hospital in Malaysia in 1996 and over two decades has developed one of the largest hospital companies in Asia, with a focus on high-quality, affordable, standardized care.
With the addition of the Columbia Africa clinic, the company has 10,000 employees serving more than 2.5 million patients a year, with 2,200 beds across 27 hospitals and two clinics
