A growing partnership between Kenya's healthcare sector and medical professionals living abroad could help expand access to specialised treatment, improve patient care and strengthen local medical expertise, Opening Village Doors Foundation President Frederick Bw'Ombongi has said.
Speaking during an interview with Radio Generation on Wednesday, Bw'Ombongi said the foundation is working to connect Kenyan hospitals with medical professionals in the diaspora through knowledge sharing, specialist training and research partnerships that will help build long-term capacity within the country's health system.
He said the idea was born out of discussions held during a visit by Kenyan government officials to Minnesota in the United States in 2024, where healthcare emerged as one of the sectors in which Kenyans living abroad expressed a strong desire to support the country.
According to Bw'Ombongi, many Kenyans based in the United States work in the healthcare sector, creating a valuable opportunity to use their experience and expertise to strengthen healthcare services in Kenya.
"I will say the majority of Kenyans abroad, especially those in the United States, mostly work in healthcare. Healthcare is a space that they understand and know well. One of the proposals was that we should engage hospitals and understand the challenges they face so that the Kenyan diaspora can walk alongside them."
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He said the foundation, in partnership with the State Department for Diaspora Affairs, held discussions with Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital, Kenyatta National Hospital and other health facilities before settling on one hospital where the programme could begin and later be expanded to other institutions.
The consultations identified urology, kidney disease, cardiovascular care and medical research as the areas that would benefit most from closer collaboration between local doctors and specialists from abroad.
"The main intention is how we can learn from each other from a place of humility. The team is not coming because they know everything. They are coming to share how they perform procedures while also learning from the local team. Through that exchange of knowledge, we can continue supporting local healthcare systems," he stated.
Bw'Ombongi said the foundation has already organised specialist medical camps focusing on complex urology procedures, bringing together experts from the United States to work alongside Kenyan doctors while providing practical training in advanced treatment methods.
He explained that the goal is not to continue holding medical camps forever but to ensure Kenyan specialists acquire the skills needed to provide advanced care independently within the country.
"My hope is that specialised care becomes locally available and more accessible to patients. We want local physicians to have access to experts around the world so they can consult, continue learning and improve patient care. The intention is that after several years there will be no need for medical camps because the knowledge and skills will already exist locally," he said.
Beyond specialist treatment, Bw'Ombongi said the initiative is also promoting high reliability training to improve patient safety by helping healthcare facilities prevent medical errors through stronger systems and better teamwork instead of placing blame on individual healthcare workers.
He added that partnerships should focus first on government-funded hospitals because they serve the largest number of patients despite operating with limited resources. He expressed hope that once the model succeeds at national referral hospitals, it can be rolled out to county referral facilities so more Kenyans can access specialised healthcare closer to home.