A specialised eye centre in Kenya
A speciliased eye centre offering consultancy, surgery and training in Nairobi Kenya
KG EyeCare brings to the East Africa region specialised eye services that have hitherto been unavailable.
It will serve as a specialised training centre for ophthalmologists in the Eastern Africa region.
Major cost savings will be realised by patients and insurance companies as patients no longer need to go abroad.
Facts
2006
| Two years ago: | |
| Last year: | |
| This year (forecast): | 200,000 |
| Year 2 (forecast): | 300,000 |
| Year 3 (forecast): | 500,000 |
| Two years ago: | |
| Last year: | |
| This year (forecast): | 10,000 |
| Year 2 (forecast): | 50,000 |
| Year 3 (forecast): | 100,000 |
| Two years ago: | |
| Last year: | |
| This year (forecast): | 5 |
| Year 2 (forecast): | 6 |
| Year 3 (forecast): | 8 |
How do you expect this to be financed?
| Own Contribution in cash | 30,000 |
| Loans (debt) | 100,000 |
| Shares in your company that you offer to investors (equity) | |
| Other sources | |
| Total finance needed (US$) | 130,000 |
The Business
The centre will have a specialised eye diagnostic section able to deal with the following.
1. Diabetic eye disease
2 Other Retina diseases
3. Retina detachments
4. Glaucoma diagnosis and followup
5. Cataract and othe anterior segment diseases
6. Children eye clinic
Our major emphasis will be on diagnosis and management diabetic eye disease and glaucoma
Further, a well equipped theatre will be able to offer the full range of eye surgeries but more importantly offer retina surgery services for which currently, patients have to fly out or go blind if not able to afford this service outside the country.
An outpatient facility will be manned by an eye specialist and will have a general as well as an appointment clinic to cater for the various segments in society who will be in need of the centres services.
Further, we hope to offer consultancy services to hospitals in Kenya and the region for a fee.
The centre will also initiate the national diabetic eye program where a specialist from the centre will visit selected government hospitals in the country periodically to offer consultancy and treatment at a minimal or not charge. This will be donor funded program.
KG eyecare will be offering a service that is not currently availalbe in the country. We aim to set an an eye centre that is modern and is able to offer a one stop facility for eye patients in Kenya and the region.
We aim to communicate with all eye doctors and hospitals in Kenya and the region about the services available at the centre.
Further, we plan to use print and radio media to raise awareness about the blinding eye complications from diabetes so that these patient will be motivated to visit the centre for an eye examination. As the secretary to the ophthalmology society of Eastern Africa (www.oseafrica.org) I am at an advantaged position as i am in contact with each eye specialist in the region and beyond.
We have local competitors in provision of retinal diagnosis and surgery. Centres offering this service are in India and South Africa. The cost saving in getting this servie in Kenya is substantial and will be one of the major factors contributing to patients visiting the centre as well as insurance companies sending their clients to the centre.
The amount to time and experience needed to attain the skill that I will be offering is substantial and not easy to attain. Further, the diagnostic euipment cannot be easily replicated as they are very user specific.
The Entrepreneur & Management
I completed masters in ophthalmology from Nairobi univeristy in 2001, sat and passed the International Council of Ophthalmology exams in 2001, completed a fellowship in pediatric opthalmology at Red Cross childrens hospital Cape Town in 2005, successfully completed a 18months retina surgery fellowship in 2006, sat and passed entrance exams to the Royal College of Surgeonin Glasgow and will be admitted as fellow in July 2007 and was the recepient of the international scholarship by ICO and the international strabismus association. Currently a consultant in church eye hospital in Nairobi and see the lack of specialist facilities facing eye specialist in kenya and the eastern africa region. I have been put in-charge of collapsing eye hospital before and initiated a successfull turn around in both of them. Further, I see too many patients going to India and South Africa for simple eye tests that are not available in the region.
Development
The major development will be in in eye care delivery and training. The level of eye care in the region is appaling largely as a result of lack of facilities but also because the training of eye doctors and allies staff is wanting.
Further, savings made by health insurance providers and the reduced risk means they are able to offer more cover to eye patients as they know that they do not have fly patients out or the country for specialised treatment.