Using blockchain to finance accessible healthcare in Kenya
Announcing the first of a series of stories spotlighting local partners providing valuable services in their communities, powered partly by Jia’s financing.
Partner Spotlight: Ilara Health, Kenya
Dr. Elishaphan Obuya, the founder of Shepher Lifecare, a small private medical facility in Kisumu, Kenya, wakes up every morning with one goal in mind: providing the best care he can to the hundreds of patients who visit his clinic each month. Dr. Obuya treats everything from broken bones to colds to COVID.
He founded Shepher Lifecare to help give back to his community. However, due to a lack of access to affordable supplies and medicines, he is sometimes forced to reject patients who need his care.
“Since opening, keeping medicine stocked without the ability to buy it on credit has been a major growing pain,” says Dr. Obuya.
“We sometimes have to send patients to other facilities to get what they need.”
Far from alone, Dr. Obuya is one of thousands of small, private medical facilities in Kenya that struggle to access critical supplies, often from a lack of financing.
That’s why Jia has partnered with Ilara Health, a medical equipment provider, to deliver Shepher Lifecare, and other clinics like it, affordable financing to grow their businesses and continue serving their communities with care they need.
“Getting drugs on financing has enabled my clinic to access larger stock without cash payment,” says Dr. Obuya. Additionally, he says, financing has allowed him to free up cash for other business priorities
“Our healthcare service has improved because we have access to a wider variety of quality medicines. We no longer send patients to buy medicines elsewhere because we have what our patients need.”
Jia’s partner Ilara Health equips small healthcare providers, like Shepher Lifecare, with lifesaving diagnostic tools to improve the quality of medical care in under-served communities across Africa. Based in Nairobi, they have partnered with over 1500 hundred clinics to serve over 100,000 patients.
Jia powers Ilara Health’s supply chain by financing its partner clinics to ensure they are always stocked with whatever medicines their patients need.
“A critical problem our partner clinics face is the lack of accessibility to traditional financing typically used by small businesses for growth.” says Ilara Health CEO Emilian Popa. “This is a key problem we help solve for them. Jia has made this process seamless. Their platform allows us to offer affordable financing instantly, helping them access critical revenue-generating diagnostic tools.
Jia-powered loans typically fall between 100k-200k KES (or USD $850-$1,700), and are paid off in one to three months. Fees fall between 4–6% per month. This is much cheaper than traditional, non-blockchain digital lenders in Kenya, where monthly fees often fall between 15–20% and can reach up to 395% annualized.
Beyond capital, Jia’s Rewards Program enables Ilara Health to deliver discounts, tailored training and clinic beautification as loyalty rewards. For example, clinics earn points through Jia by making on-time payments. Those that earn 400 points unlock a 3% discount on all fees for advances. Clinics that reach 2,500 points receive 10% off all advance fees and free installation of new inventory management and health record systems.
Taken together, Jia’s joint financing program with Illara Health has been a game-changer for Dr. Obuya and his clinic.
“Now I never have to worry about my clinic being stocked. I can keep my business rolling and stay focused on the reason I went into medicine: keeping my community safe.” — Dr. Obuya, Shepher Lifecare
