Healthcare in Kenya

Expats will want to steer clear of the government hospitals in Kenya. Underfunding has made for poor quality care which limited services are difficult to receive anyway because of overcrowding. There is a national healthcare plan in Kenya which theoretically is for all Kenyans, and all civil servants are required to join, but expats shouldn't bother. Private care can be quite good with small but modern health facilities and well trained medical staff. Serious operations however should be done outside the country with better equipped facilities. Most of these private clinics are centred around Nairobi or Mombasa.

Health insurance is a must in Kenya. Expats should make sure any previously existing health insurance will cover care in Kenya, and importantly emergency evacuations. Kenya has more medical evacuations than any other country and an airlift can cost more than US$80,000. Often these evacuations are to South Africa which has the best medical facilities on the continent.

Expats arriving without health insurance should get it through a company that regularly does business in Kenya. Often employers relocating expats to Kenya provide insurance. Costs are as expensive or more than in other western countries and covering all the costs for emergency care out-of-pocket can be impossible.  

Kenya has an extensive network of private and public healthcare, from small local clinics, to large high-class hospitals. Unlike the private hospitals, public hospitals are less expensive, but are extremely inefficient due to the high demand and large crowds.

 

Expats are advised not to opt for a cheaper public hospital  in Kenya because the services and facilities are quite low-class. Private healthcare can be quite good with small but modern health facilities and well-trained medical staff. However for any serious operations it is advised that expats look outside the country (South Africa has the best medical facilities on the continent). There are a number of private hospitals and medical clinics in Nairobi and Mombasa offering all medical services at international standards: 

 

If private healthcare is not an option, these are the recommended public hospitals are:

 

There is a national healthcare plan in Kenya which is theoretically for all Kenyans and civil servants, but expats shouldn’t bother. However health insurance is extremely necessary in Kenya, without it costs are just as expensive as in western countries and covering all the costs for emergency care out-of-pocket can be impossible. Often employers relocating expats to Kenya will provide insurance, but if not, expats should obtain suitable Expatriate Health Insurance prior to arriving in Kenya, ensuring it covers private healthcare in Africa, and more importantly emergency medical evacuations.

 

Expats should get the latest medical advice or vaccinations and malaria prevention at least three weeks prior to arriving in Kenya. A malaria risk exists all year round, but more around the coastal regions than in Nairobi and on the high central plateau. Immunisation against Yellow Fever, Polio and Typhoid are usually recommended. Protection against bites from sandflies, mosquitoes and tsetse flies is the best prevention against malaria and dengue fever as well as other insect-borne diseases. It is recommended that expats use a mosquito net overnight.

 

Water in Kenya is of variable quality, and therefore expats are advised not to drink water directly from the tap unless they have a pathogen and bacteria killing water filter. Cholera outbreaks occur frequently, and expats should take care not to drink contaminated water and be cautious of food prepared by unlicensed roadside vendors.