Matibabu Foundation – Deepika Parmar, MD
Written by Deepika Parmar, MD, PGY-2 at Kaiser Permanente Oakland Pediatrics Program while on Global Health rotation at Matibabu Foundation in Ukwala, Kenya in October-November 2016.
Matibabu Foundation Hospital is a Level 4 hospital located in Ukwala, Kenya serving the community at large. *Note: Kenya Level 1= pharmacy; Level 2= dispensary; Level 3= Clinic with pharmacy; Level 4= inpatient hospital with outpatient clinic, lab, pharmacy; Level 5= inpatient hospital with intensive care unit and some sub-specialties; Level 6= referral center.* It is primarily privately-funded via Tiba Foundation, Dutch Rehabilitation non-profit organizations for the disabled and other private donors. They have an inpatient unit with laboratory services, maternity services (pre-/post- labor), maternal child health services but does not have ICU level care. They see patients in on-site outpatient medical clinics, HIV clinic, optometry clinic, dental clinic, and pharmacies. They excel in community health-based projects including reproductive health services, cervical cancer screening and cryotherapy, disability support/physiotherapy/orthopedic device fitting, HIV screening, and many other community based projects. Social services and fieldworkers identify families in greatest need qualifying for government subsidies. Many families have been