Hundreds benefit as free medical camp staged in Garissa

Garissa Governor Nathif Jama on Monday welcomed the collaborative effort between the county and the M-Pesa Foundation which he said will not only go a long way in transforming lives but also taking healthcare services closer to the people.

Speaking at the Garissa County referral hospital when he officially opened the free medical camp, Governor Jama called on residents to take full advantage of such free medical camps.

The medical camp was done in collaboration with Zuri Health and Lion Sight First Eye Hospital.

Some of the services provided at the camp are general consultation, cervical and breast cancer screening, Fistula screening, general doctor consultations, diabetes screening, hypertension monitoring and child health consultations.

“The programme is a noble initiative that our worthy partners have made available to us as part of a collaborative effort in addressing the ever-present and ever-pressing challenges encountered in providing quality maternal and child healthcare services in Garissa County,” Jama said.

The Safaricom Foundation chairman Joseph Ogutu said the countrywide medical camps have helped many less fortunate individuals with serious medical complications.

“As we successfully hold our 11th free medical camp, we continue to realize our purpose of transforming lives and taking health services closer to people,” said Ogutu.

He revealed that the focus remained on non-communicable diseases, reproductive health advice and general consultations.

M-PESA Foundation held its first camp in Lamu County in May last year and has held camps in Nairobi, Kakamega, Mombasa, Meru, Kisumu, Trans Nzoia, Narok, Nyandarua and Machakos counties, impacting over 24,000 people. An additional 110 people have benefited from free one-year NHIF memberships, where they can access further medical services.

At the end of the camp, over 3500 residents of Garissa town had benefited from the camp.

The M-Pesa foundation also handed out 50 mama packs which contain essentials for both mothers and babies to enhance maternal and child health.

Uche Ezedinachi of Zuri Health said they were providing technology solutions by offering patients who attend the medical camps free follow-up consultations with doctors via SMS and WhatsApp for up to six months.

Hussein Bashey, the County clinical coordinator who was among health personnel from the Referral hospital facilitating the event said the event was one of the biggest medical camps ever held in Garissa.

“The population that arrived seeking free medical support surpasses the intended target of 3000 patients,” said Bashey.

He said Garissa County Referral Hospital as a partner deployed almost 100 medics to participate in the event.

Aisha Abdullahi, a mother who brought her baby was among the beneficiaries of the free medical camp.

Aisha said her child had a serious ailment of chest pain and she had to travel from Modikor centre,9km from Garissa town to seek help at the free medical camp.