all staff worked to ensure our patients were handled with utmost confidence and caring nature . The company invested on the procurement of the PPEs to ensure safety within the centers as well as screening for all patients before entry . The adherence to the MOH and WHO protocols like donning of the PPEs at all times , screening at entry , regular sanitization of the commonly touched surfaces and providing airy space gave our patient confidence of safety .
How has the Covid-19 pandemic impacted your operations ? Traffic to your clinics ? Do you see more opportunities in the mix ? How do you intend to ride on this to give more value in view of the changed landscape ? Any unique lessons from where you sit ?
We were clear from the on-set that our priority was our staff and patient safety ; we invested heavily in PPEs for our staff and developed deliberate protocols for infection prevention and control . We demonstrated dependability and consistency as brand by remaining open even when many people were scared . We wanted to remain a source of hope and encouragement to our patients . Due to the early intervention measures we put in place , the traffic within our facilities was not greatly affected . Unfortunately , our typical warm smile was replaced by the mask but this did not kill our warm and our welcoming nature but has given us an opportunity to engage and listen more to our patients . Our biggest lesson is that motivated and empowered staff remain the most important asset for any organization and can help you weather any storm .
What is your view on the future of the healthcare industry in Kenya ?
With changing consumer seeking behavior we expect the healthcare industry to be more versatile in the coming years in how it addresses patient needs . For instance , we are seeing a lot more patients adopting modern technology like seeking treatment and consultation through telehealth , engagement on apps , wearables and machine tech , robots and innovation in extended reality are among things that will shape our Industry , we also see a big opportunity for medical tourism within the region . Patients are now more keen on their wellbeing thus preventive wellness solutions are also going to be on the rise in future . With the government big 4 agenda there ’ s expectation that there will be more investment in the public health .
Kenya being part of the Africa Union , we hope we will one day achieve the 15 % revenue allocation to healthcare , the set target by the member countries to improving the health sector within low income settings according to the 2001 Abuja declaration .
Tell us about yourself . How did you get started off in your profession , what has been your career progression path , what interesting challenges have you faced in your journey ? What are among the best lessons you have learned about business and industry that you can share ? You gave a talk on Marketing being in Dilemma sometime in 2018 . What views do you hold on the state of the profession ?
I probably need a separate interview to talk about my career journey right from a very humble beginning in a rural village in Nyeri , where I was taught English and Kiswahili in mother tongue in my Kajinga primary school but that could be a story for another day . I am an Alumnus of the University of Nairobi School of Business . Graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce in Marketing and an MBA in strategic Management from the same University . I also hold a Professional Post Graduate Diploma in Marketing ( CIM- UK ) and currently working on achieving chartered marketer status . I also possess a Professional Insurance Diploma ACII ( UK ) among many other certifications .
For close to 20 years I have horned my management skills working in different leadership positions in Marketing and business development in diverse industries ; Creative & advertising agencies ; ICT , Hospitality ( Windsor Golf Hotel and Country Club ), Insurance ( AAR Insurance ) and Healthcare ( AAR Healthcare ); I am an experienced business leader with the cultivated and proven ability to deliver impressive business growth , through organizational transformation and culture change ; performance management through balanced score card ; coaching and mentoring as well as establish profitable cross industry business partnerships .
During my tenure at AAR Healthcare I have overseen expansion of AAR Healthcare outpatient Centre network from 12 facilities to the current 21 centers and very soon the set-up of a fully-fledged inpatient hospital ; and successfully launched the KAARIBU campaign to reposition AAR Healthcare brand into one of the leading healthcare providers in the market .
I sit in several boards among them the UN Global Compact Kenya ; Board of Trustees of AAR Holdings Pension Scheme ; Royal Nairobi Golf Club ; Marketing Society of Kenya and last year I was privileged to serve as the chief judge for the marketer ’ s gala awards ; key player in the Kenya Health Care Federation an industry lobby that articulates issues affecting the healthcare industry .
I am a consultant marketer and trainer in management specifically in areas of culture change ; change management ; team building just to a name a few . I am an avid golfer with a strong network of key Industry leaders and captains of industry . I still vividly recall my talk on at Nairobi Marketers ’ Night on ‘ Marketing In Dilemma ’ and judging by the reaction from the marketers I could tell most connected with my views , I got close to hundred business cards on the day and many invites later to give talk in different professional forums , our profession like any other has been invaded my quacks who cannot even articulate the basic principles of marketing but the good news is Marketing Society of Kenya is trying to remedy this through a charter that will hopefully bring some sanity in the profession once it goes through the legislative process .
These are excerpts from the discussion with Charles Kariuki , Managing Director AAR Healthcare Kenya Limited as captured by Marketing Africa Crew . For more information or comments drop us a line on : Info @ marketingafrica . co . ke