…Rehema Open Door, the newest hospice and palliative care centre in rural western Kenya. Dedicated on Wednesday, October 4, 2023 near Ringa town in Homa Bay County, Rehema will serve a five county area of over 5 million people.
Not yet fully operational, Rehema is currently serving its local community with outpatient clinical services including examination, laboratory testing, pharmacy and referral.
It also works with 30 community health promoters (CHPs) to help assess palliative care needs in the area for home based care. Rehema just recently completed two sessions of weeklong trainings with CHPs, including deaconesses and pastors of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya.
CHPs support families by training caregivers in care of patients in the home and are the patient liaisons between families and Rehema.
Rehema works closely with the newly renovated Rachuonyo East Sub County Hospital to support patients who need more specialized services.
Other partners who support Rehema Open Door include: Always Mercy (a US based nonprofit), Kenya Hospice and Palliative Care Association, Homa Bay County Health Department and the Living Room International.
Rehema was launched in January 2022, with the purchase of land, well-drilling, and registration with the Kenyan government as a limited liability corporation.
In just 20 months, Rehema opened its first building on the campus site, a 3,900 square foot administration and clinic building with a separate small ward for women and men.
Its current bed capacity is 8 beds. In November, Rehema Open Door will welcome its first 4 patients to its wards with supervised nursing staff to support patients’ needs. In its first 4 weeks of soft opening, its clinical operation has served over 90 patients who came to Rehema solely by word-of-mouth in the community.
When the facility has its planned completion in 2025, it will have a 42-bed capacity (some private pay and wards for men, women and children), physical therapy, expanded laboratory, radiology, minor surgery suite, staff housing, laundry, kitchen, cafe and chapel.
I’m pleased with the most comfortable working environment(very clean and safe) for both patients,health staffs and other support staffs at the facility. Moreover the quality of healthcare services offered are amazing. It’s the best place to give and receive both palliative and hospice care for chronic illnesses. Learning isn’t exceptional once here, it’s the best place to be💯.