Residents of Tana River County suffering from eye and dental ailments have benefited from a two day-free medical camp organized by Jaffer Foundation and Mombasa Cement to mark Huduma day.
Among those who benefited was Said Dhidho who has been living with an eye problem since he was in class three. The sexagenarian travelled all the way from Golbante after he got the information about the camp from a WhatsApp post.
“I was forced to repeat class three as a result of the ailment in my left eye. I have lived with the problem for years. I was attended to by doctors and I will be travelling to Mombasa for further treatment,” said Dhidho.
He lauded the organizers and requested them to extend the outreach programs to sub-county levels to reach many people, who he noted were suffering silently as they were needy. “Next they should hold the medical camp within Tana Delta or Tana North sub-counties,’’ he said.
Another beneficiary Betty Komora said she lost eyesight last week and the camp therefore had come at the right time for her.
According to Hola County Referral Hospital Medical Superintendent, Abbass Godana, a majority of those who turned up sought eye services.
Godana commended the organizers and sponsors of the medical camp and urged other health partners to follow suit. “These medical camps are very important since resources are always very limited,’’ he pointed out.
Most eye patients in the county are forced to travel to Mombasa and other distant counties for medication.
The referral hospital’s nursing officer Mr Abajila Maro said the camps ought to be regular since most victims were poor and thus could not afford to travel to Mombasa and other counties for treatment.
”These medical camps if held regularly would save many eye patients from turning blind,’’ he stated.
The main organizer of the camp Maur Abdalla Bwanamaka, a Mombasa based businessman cum politician said they plan to conduct another medical camp before December to assist the large number of people seeking eye services.
“Owing to financial constraints most people have been living with eye and dental ailments. The next camp will have cancer specialists to screen mainly prostate and cervical cancers,” Bwanamaka assured.
By Sadik Hassan
