At least 150 people in North Imenti constituency may soon get free artificial limbs courtesy of a medical camp that was organized by a local politician to help nneedy cases in Meru County
The camp was organized by the area MP Abdul Rahim Dawood in conjunction with Narayan Seva Sansthan, a Non-Governmental Organisation from India and Hindu Samaj, Meru.
The beneficiaries’ measurements were taken and will be taken to India where processing of the limbs will be done after which they will receive them in July this year.
Speaking during the event, Mr Dawood said the idea behind helping people get the assistive devices was birthed in 2019 and about 38 from the constituency benefitted after they were taken to a medical camp that was held in Nairobi.
“After facing the challenges of ferrying people to Nairobi, we sat with Hindu Samaj, Meru, and decided to have such camps here, though they were interrupted by Covid-19.
We are grateful that we have succeeded in holding the camp here and we are looking forward to more of these in future,” said Mr Dawood.
The MP said they were also consulting widely to look into the possibility of establishing a factory for processing limbs in Meru, which will serve the needs of the entire country. He also promised to donate Sh1 Million to aid the establishment of the factory.
Hindu Samaj Meru Chairman, Mr Milan Shah, said the move from the Indian NGO was beneficial to the residents and especially the beneficiaries as they will be able to carry out their normal activities just as they used to do.
He called on the beneficiaries to use the limbs in a productive way since this is the sole purpose of the entire programme.
Former Cabinet Secretary Ambassador Professor Jacob Kaimenyi who was the chief guest during the event thanked the MP for going out of his way to invite the donors for the sake of the less fortunate in the society.
“I challenge all Kenyans in leadership to follow the MP’s example especially in taking care of other people’s welfare so that we can add dignity to the less fortunate in our society,” said Professor Kaimenyi.
By Dickson Mwiti
