More than 400 Machakos residents have benefited from a free medical camp.
They were screened for cancer and received treatment for diabetes and blood pressure.
Some 100 people also received their Covid–19 jabs during the exercise.
Machakos Health executive Ruth Mutua urged residents to go for regular screening.
“Most diseases are ignored during early stages only to be discovered in patients when they are at an advanced stage,” she said.
The executive said screening of patients allows for timely intervention by offering necessary medication before the disease gets severe.
Mutua spoke on Wednesday during a free medical testing and treatment camp at Mukusu dispensary in Masinga, Machakos.
The camp was organised by Hepto, a US-based medical organisation with branches in Somalia and Ethiopia.
"Our partnership with Hepto has enabled us to bring more drugs to the dispensary and reach a large number of residents in need of medicines," Mutua said.
Mukusu dispensary serves 5,500 patients.
Hepto representative Mohamed Ahmed said the organisation intends to support similar programmes in various parts of the country.
"We plan to expand our programmes to cover surgical medical camps. We also intend to donate advanced medical equipment to needy health centres and hospitals,” he said.
Ahmed said the organisation will work together with the Machakos government to provide community training, skills and knowledge to community health volunteers.
Beneficiary Moses Muendo, 70, said more support should be given towards screening and treatment of prostate cancer.
He said the disease had not been sufficiently addressed.
(Edited by Bilha Makokha)
