Hundreds of residents of Nyamira County benefited from a free medical camp organised by the Aga Khan Hospital, Kisumu branch, in collaboration with the German Finance Cooperation.
The camp, held at Uhuru grounds in Nyamira town, offered services ranging from general examinations to laboratory services, cervical and breast cancer screening, malaria testing, urinalysis, deworming, blood pressure monitoring, and diabetes.
Dr. Sally Hawii, Aga Khan Hospital Pharmacy Manager, who was coordinating the free medical camp services, confirmed to KNA that they partner with some insurance companies such as Britam, Jubilee, Madison, and APA, which have Afya Imara cover to serve clients even from rural communities.
“Before setting up a free medical camp at a particular place, we conduct a survey with the help of community health promoters, which reveals the extent of need in a particular area. In instances where special ailment cases were diagnosed, we referred them to our outreach facilities, while those with chronic diseases like neuralgia, joint pains, and diabetes are given a full month’s dosage for free,” Dr. Hawii clarified.
Dr. Hawii explained that the perception that medical or health services at Aga Khan Hospital are for moneyed clients is misleading and confirmed that their services are affordable and accessible to clients of all economic classes.
She hinted that the initiative will be an annual drive across the country, depending on medical needs as they arise, commending the turnout by residents from the mobilisation of the Aga Khan team, the community health promoters, and local radio stations.
Ruth Bosibori, a resident of Nyamira, greatly appreciated Aga Khan’s initiative to conduct a free medical camp and appealed to other hospitals to do likewise so that vulnerable, sick, and economically struggling citizens like her can access medical checkups.
She commended the professional demeanour in which the doctors did their work with a lot of efficiency.
Dr. Hawii said the turnout was very high, a clear indication that people in Nyamira County need more medical camps.
The Aga Khan hospital has 14 medical centres with both in and out patient open 24 hours.
In Nyamira County, there is an outreach clinic that runs from Monday to Saturday only. Nyamira was the tenth county after Bomet to have a free medical camp. They are headed to Homabay County next week.
Their main mission is to bring quality healthcare to the community by ensuring that they get better treatment and free drugs to better their livelihood when they are in good health.
By Deborah Bochere and Eliud Atisa
