Over 5,000 residents from Kakamega County have received free eye treatment over the last five days courtesy of The Baraza Foundation in conjunction with Dr Agarwal’s Eye Hospital and Sabatia Eye Clinic.
The treatment that was concluded, covered residents of Matungu, Mumias West, Mumias East, Butere, Khwisero and Lumakanda.
The patron of Baraza Foundation, Fernandez Baraza, said that the foundation’s research department found out that five per cent of people in Kakamega County suffer from various forms of eye ailments, prompting them to look for partners to offer free treatment.
Baraza who is also the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Kenya Electricity Transmission Company (KETRACO), said the foundation will be carrying out the treatment annually to support the vulnerable.
He noted most of the conditions can be managed if treated early.
He said they have a network of sponsors who have agreed to treat patients for free.
“Our network of doctors including doctors from Dr Agarwal’s Eye Hospital and the Sabatia Eye clinic have agreed to support us for free in offering free medical care to the vulnerable,” he noted.
Baraza also said they are negotiating with more partners to start offering free breast and cervical cancer treatment and management.
Dr Bonface Orangi, an eye treatment specialist from Dr Agarwal’s Eye hospital, said that some of the patients who were attended to had lost their vision after cataract infection.
He said that during the treatment exercise, they identified more than 100 people who had cataract conditions who will be referred to Nairobi to have their vision restored. He said most of the patients were over 40 years of age.
By Moses Wekesa
