Nairobi — Small healthcare providers will access Sh40 million in credit to buy medicines and other essential medical supplies.

This follows a partnership between M-Tiba, the Medical Credit Fund (MFC), and MyDawa to introduce the financing solution.

"This partnership enables healthcare providers to offer quality patient care by providing access to high-quality drugs and essential medical supplies, even in the absence of immediate working capital," said M-Tiba CEO Pieter Prickaerts.

"Thanks to this partnership, healthcare providers will no longer need to refer patients to other clinics due to lack of medicines and consumables," Prickaerts added.

"Additionally, as we experienced that 72% of our Cash Advance clients use the digital loan for medicines, the partnership with MYDAWA also simplifies the access to high-quality and affordable medical products, all leveraged through technology innovations."

MCF, which provides funding for cash advances, has so far provided loans totaling Sh11 billion to over 750 healthcare facilities.

Cash advance uses data from M-Pesa till transaction sales to generate loan limits and advance the credit digitally to private healthcare providers.

"We have established strong partnerships with a wide network of manufacturers and distributors to ensure a consistent supply of high-quality drugs and other medical products," said MYDAWA Country Manager Priscilla Muhiu.

"Healthcare providers should leverage this network, which has been designed to ensure they have a reliable source of high-quality products at competitive prices," Muhiu added.