Nakuru County Government Chief Officer for Public Health Alice Abuki today hosted a team from the National Ministry of Health in readiness for the full rollout of the Primary Healthcare Networks (PCN) initiative in the region.
Ms. Abuki said the team will be in Nakuru for the next two weeks to capacity-build a multidisciplinary team that will be operationalizing the PCNs at various sites.
She said the health department has successfully implemented the primary healthcare networks in Bahati Sub-County, with the Sub-County Hospital as the main hub that serves Bahati and Subukia.
The officer noted that Bahati now has a proper referral network from the community level to the health facilities. And with an ambulance stationed at the hospital and four community health units with health promoters to enhance reverse referral and follow-up,
However, despite the continuous improvement of health services, Nakuru City remains a popular place for alternative medicine, with signposts all over shops advertising’ miti ni dawa’ and a lot of hawking of supplements.
Some of the popular ones are Neolife International, who claim that their mission is to make the world a healthier and happier place, and they have a variety of products ranging from food supplements to organic farm products.
Others are Cargill and Healthy You, which all claim to sell magical, healthy products that cure everything. A local nutritionist, David Mina, said the best boost for a healthy body is locally grown and traditional foodstuffs such as millet, sour porridge, sweet potatoes, and sour milk.
He advised locals to follow simple trends such as exercise, a balanced diet, and supportive social networks for a balanced lifestyle and good health.
He added that each part of the world is blessed with locally grown foods. But when food is shipped or transported from faraway places, it loses some of its nutritional value and picks up a lot of pathogens along the way that might cause diseases.
By Veronica Bosibori
