Over 200 patients suffering from various illnesses turned up at the Makueni Mother and Child Hospital, Wote, for screening and corrective surgeries on day two of the one-week free surgical camp.
The camp, organised by the Department of Health Services in partnership with the Kenya Surgical Society, Rotary Club of Nairobi Magharibi, Kenya Society of the Blind, and pharmaceutical companies, aims at addressing pressing health issues within the community.
“At the moment, we have done 46 surgeries. We have seen 278 patients, and 52 people have been admitted awaiting operations. Some are suffering from goitre, hernias, prostate cancer, cataracts, and hearing impairments, among other illnesses,” said Makueni County Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr. while addressing the media at the health facility on Tuesday.
“Through these efforts, we intend to do over 100 surgeries for various illnesses. We have clinical officers and over 20 doctors (surgeons), including 4 doctors from Tanzania, doing the free medical camp that started on Monday and will end on Friday,” he added.
In this regard, the Governor appealed to residents in the county suffering from whatever sickness to take advantage and visit the hospital so that their problems could be addressed.
“As I have gone around here, I have seen people, including very young children, suffering from various illnesses that I did not imagine. Those that cannot pay for their treatment should take advantage of this opportunity,” observed the Governor.
At the same time, Mutula disclosed that the Department of Health would utilise this camp to register patients into the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) to enable them to continue with treatment in the future.
Speaking during the press briefing, the President of the Surgical Society of Kenya, Professor Paul Odula, said patients suffering from any ailments should come without fear as they have doctors to attend to them.
On her part, the President of the Rotary Club of Nairobi, Magharibi Muthoni Mate, said through these efforts, they intended to leave a healthy community that could contribute to the development of the county.
By Patrick Nyakundi
