Top health officials in Homa Bay County have urged residents to seek early diagnosis for hypertension and other non-communicable diseases (NCDs) to prevent deaths.
The Medicins Sans Frontieres (MSF) organisation’s County Manager, Steven Kimoki, said that many Homa Bay residents suffering from NCDs such as hypertension, asthma, and diabetes seek medical attention very late, leading to complications.
Kimoki, who is in charge of mobile services, said mortality rates would not be high if NCDs were treated at an advanced stage.
“There is a huge gap because the majority of patients suffering from hypertension and other non-communicable diseases seek medical services in health facilities when it is very late. As medical officers, there is nothing much we can do for such a patient,” Kimoki said.
Speaking at Marindi Village in Homa Bay Sub-county during the marking of the World Hypertension Day, Kimoki said there was need for residents to embrace lifestyle change by eating healthy and exercising regularly.
The ceremony was also graced by the acting Homa Bay County Executive Committee Member for Health, John Agili, and the County Coordinator for NCDs, Silas Mado.
Kimoki said the best way to manage hypertension and other NCDs is to begin medication at an early stage.
This means people should be accustomed to seeking regular screenings for NCDs. Regular screening enables early detection of the diseases, resulting in early treatment.
“We are urging our people to develop the habit of regularly visiting health facilities for screening for hypertension and other non-communicable diseases. This will enable medical officers to start treating them early,” Kimoki said.
Dr. Agili warned that hypertension and other non-communicable diseases were silent killers.
He expressed concerns that many people do not take the diseases seriously in the county.
“I want our people to know that hypertension, asthma, and NCDs also kill like other diseases. Let us avoid dragging our feet in seeking routine checkups,” Dr. Agili said.
He said the county government had put in place a policy of ensuring health promoters undertake awareness creation on NCDs in the county.
“We recruited community health promoters who move door to door in villages to enlighten residents on how to manage the NCDs,” Agili said.
Mado said they had developed a strategy for tracking NCD patients.
“We have also trained our health workers on how to handle NCD patients,” Mado said.
By Daline Ochieng and Davis Langat
