Over 1000 residents of Kajiado County received free medical services at a 3-day medical camp held at Eiti, Kajiado Central.
The free medical camp sponsored by Spread Truth Africa, a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), in conjunction with Hope Citadel and other partners, witnessed a huge turnout of patients seeking treatment for various health issues such as eye infections, diabetes, hypertension, and flu, among others.
According to the President of Spread Truth Africa, Jerry McCorkle, the medical camp was timely, especially for residents who live in remote areas and could not access health services easily due to long distances and costs.
McCorkle noted that they were targeting arid and semi-arid counties such as Kajiado, Turkana, Kilifi and Samburu, where they would be offering free medical check-ups, treatment and minor surgeries.
Dr. Lucy Mutungi from Hope Citadel revealed that the most common ailments diagnosed during the medical camp at Eiti were tumours and eye infections.
She said most patients with tumours were elderly and they managed to operate on them and remove the tumours, while those who needed specialised medical care were referred to Kajiado County Referral Hospital for further treatment.
“Cancer screening is being offered free of charge. Many patients, especially the elderly, have been screened and have tumours. We have managed to conduct surgeries to remove the tumours and referred patients who need further specialised treatment to hospitals,” she said.
Dr. Mutungi added that many patients also suffered from cataracts and trachoma and this could be linked to the dry and dusty conditions, scarcity of water in the area and poor hygiene.
Other services offered at the camp included nutritional support, psychological counselling, cervical cancer screening, general consultations and lab services.
Dental checkups, family planning services, and HIV testing and counselling were also offered for free.
The Executive Director of Spread Truth Africa, Hamisi Kirenga, noted that acute malnutrition among children under the age of five, the elderly, and pregnant and lactating mothers was also recorded during the medical camp.
A resident of Dalalekutuk, Daudi Leken, expressed his gratitude to the organisers of the free medical camp, adding that the high cost of living had made it hard to seek medical services.
Leken, who attended the camp to seek medication for hypertension, said he lost all his livestock to the drought last year; thus, he could not afford to go to the hospital or buy medicine whenever he was ill.
Another beneficiary of the camp, Peter Moonka, said he received free cataract surgery on his left eye, which he could no longer see clearly.
Moonka thanked the organisers of the camp for the free services, adding that his left eye would have gone blind if it had not been operated on, as he could not afford to pay for the surgery.
Joyce Sendeiyo called for regular free medical camps to be held in the area so as to ensure those who could not afford treatment in hospitals have access to health care.
“Many people here cannot afford to go to hospitals when sick due to poverty and the high cost of living. Free medical camps should be held regularly to save lives,” Sendeiyo said.
By Rop Janet
