Dawoodi Bohra community outreach coordinator, Hamza Shura and vice chair Quresh Zakir( left) at Old Port, in Old Town Mombasa on Sunday/ BRIAN OTIENO
Old Town resident Rubia Sheh has her mouth checked
at Old Port, in Old Town Mombasa on Sunday / BRIAN OTIENO
Many residents of Mombasa are suffering from undiagnosed
diabetes and high blood pressure, a situation that could lead to other complications,
including death.
Yusuf Mustafa, a physician from the Dawoodi Bohra
Community in Mombasa, said diabetes is a dangerous disease if left untreated
for a long time and could lead to more complicated issues like heart diseases,
nerve damages, vision loss, or death.
“We have noticed quite a number of people have
undiagnosed diabetes and high blood pressure, which we have advised accordingly
and dispensed medication where required,” Mustafa said.
He noted that most Mombasa residents do not go for
frequent checks meaning it is not easy for them to notice whenever they suffer
from diabetes or high blood pressure until something happens to them that
forces them to go to the hospital.
“Usually, when they are finally diagnosed, the
situation is already dire,” Yusuf said.
He spoke at Old Town during a multi-specialty free
medical camp organized by the Dawoodi Bohra Community in Mombasa in
collaboration with the Mombasa county government.
The free medical camp saw more than 500 people
benefit from Ear and Throat (ENT) services, ophthalmological services, general
review, orthopedic services, dental services, diabetic services, among others.
The residents also got an opportunity to register
with the Social Health Authority, with some having some Sha services given to
them.
Undiagnosed diabetes often presents silently or
with subtle symptoms that develop over years, such as extreme fatigue, frequent
urination especially at night; unquenchable thirst, slow-healing sores, and
blurred vision.
Mustafa said they also witnessed a lot of eye issues, with many cataract surgery candidates being lined up for procedures.
Dawoodi Bohra community outreach coordinator, Hamza Shura said the free medical camp was organized under the Project Rise Initiative in collaboration with the Mombasa county government.
Project Rise is a global initiative run by the
Dawoodi Bohra Community for the betterment of the people and includes programs
that target social welfare, food and nutrition, environment, and education.
“We have a special focus towards healthcare,”
Shura said.
The Mombasa Old Town free medical camp is a
continuation of the various camps conducted across the country.
In Nairobi, a surgical camp conducted in January
in Nairobi saw more than 300 surgeries conducted for various ailments.
In March, another medical camp was conducted in
Mariakani.
“This camp comes at a special time when His
Holiness Dr Seydna Mufaddal Saifuddin, the spiritual leader of the Dawoodi
Bohra Community, is in Mombasa for a 10-day visit,” Shura said.
The community’s vice chair Quresh Zakir said the
community has been working with different communities and authorities to help
humanity.
“Let us continue working together like this. His
Holiness is very much concerned. He wants to make sure that not a single person
has diseases,” Zakir said.
He noted that prevention measures are better than
curative measures.
Hashim Ridha, an Old Town resident, said his eye
sight has been troubling him for a long time but feared going for medical
check-up because of the costs involved.
“I am happy that the spiritual leader of the Bohra
community came around because I am sure it is his coming that we were able to
have this free medical camp organized for us, and I have benefited," Ridha
said.
He was checked and was given a free spectacle.
“There are many people here in Old Town and
Mombasa who are suffering in silence because they cannot afford healthcare. May
God bless these people,” Ridha said.
Rukia Ali, a community health provider based at
the State House Dispensary and Old Town village elder, said many residents have
registered with Sha because the services were brought closer to them.
“We ask more people to take advantage of such free
medical camps to have their health checked,” she said.
She said many residents do not go for check-ups
because of financial issues.
“Many residents need these services, but their
financial statuses cannot allow them to go for them,” she said.
Abdul Malik said he has been suffering with poor
vision for decades.
“I cannot read small letters. I cannot stay in the light for a long period. My eyes are sensitive. But I have been checked and treated and I believe I will be okay now. I have got new spectacles too,” he said.
INSTANT ANALYSIS:
Undiagnosed diabetes usually comes with high blood
sugar which forces kidneys into overdrive, causing frequent urination and
excessive dehydration, leading to unquenchable thirst. Cells also do not
receive energy, leading to extreme tiredness regardless of sleep quality.
