A small clinic with a big impact, CFK Africa’s Tabitha Medical Clinic is transforming healthcare in Kibera. The clinic offers a range of primary healthcare services, from consultation to X-ray to pharmacy services, all in one building.
At the heart of the clinic are people like Austrine Musili, a Pharmacy Technologist who ensures that patients receive not just medication, but also guidance towards better health outcomes.
“My responsibility at the clinic is basically to ensure patients get the best outcomes for their medications by advising on drug selection and the correct use of medicines,” he explained. “Tabitha Medical Clinic offers affordable medical services to patients who would otherwise lack crucial medical attention or incur huge costs in buying medicine from nearby private clinics and chemists.”
Austrine’s career in healthcare was inspired by his father, a health worker who served rural communities with limited access to healthcare in eastern Kenya in the 1990s. “What inspired me the most is the drive to provide healthcare services to people and especially low-income earners,” he reflected. “Preventive healthcare is the most important step in ensuring communities are free from diseases.”
Austrine performs fundamental pharmacy procedures from dispensing medications to counseling patients on proper usage, but his impact extends beyond the pharmacy walls. “At the clinic, our work is complimentary. Patients literally pass through the hands of almost all healthcare workers, from the triaging nurses, the clinicians who offer consultation, the laboratory technologists who perform various tests to help clinicians make proper diagnoses… the pharmacy serves as the exit point for almost all patients.”
Reflecting on the significance of his work in 2023, he noted, “As a department, we were guided by the prevailing disease patterns in Kibera, always factoring in the safety, affordability, and effectiveness of drug commodities. Our work addressed leading health issues in Kibera like upper respiratory tract infections, diarrhea, malaria, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and urinary tract infections.”
Through the collective effort of Tabitha Medical Clinic staff, the clinic continues the legacy of co-founder Tabitha Festo, who began CFK Africa’s first medical clinic out of her 10×10-foot home with just $26 USD.
Looking ahead, Austrine hopes that the clinic will be able to extend service days to ensure continuous access to healthcare. “If we can increase the number of days we offer services… this will go a long way in ensuring our patients’ health needs are catered for all the week round,” he suggests.
By offering pharmacy services alongside its other departments, Tabitha Medical Clinic increases access to high-quality healthcare and strengthens health-seeking behaviors among the communities we serve.
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