Thousands of residents of Kilifi and Tana River counties have benefitted from free medical services offered by two NGOs from Turkey and Belgium.
A team of doctors from Belgium under the Time for Help organisation together with other officials of Omeriye Foundation pitched camp in the two counties for one week to help the residents, who have challenges in accessing healthcare.
The complicated cases were referred to the NGO’s sister hospital Afya International Hospital, where they were operated on for free.
The NGOs started their medical camp at the remote Semicaro in Tana Delta subcounty of Tana River where more than 2000 residents got free medical services and drugs before moving in to Magarini in Kilifi county and Malindi in Kilifi county.
In Malindi the international organisations offered medical services at Malindi Islamic Centre for Oprhans for the whole day aiding more than 200 children before moving to Heart Children’s Home which has more than 60 orphans.
At the Afya hospital the doctors conducted surgeries for three consecutive days on ailments that required surgeries.
Journalists caught up with the medical team at Islamic Centre for Orphans, which also doubles up as Malindi orphan’s academy where they were offering medical care to children for the whole day.
Dr Hayri Alkan, a general physician, said he came from Belgium from a team of 30 doctors for the medical camp in Kenya.
Speaking at Malindi Islamic Centre for Orphans, he said this is the third time they have held a medical camp in Kenya as they also held similar camps in 2015 and 2016.
“We also held medical camps in other countries in Africa and now its really grateful to come back to Kenya for the medical camp and help the people here in Kenya,” he said.
Alkan said their team consist of a surgeon, gynaecologists, physicians, dentists and volunteers who are all able to help people suffering from different ailments.
He said they saw a lot of patients on the first day in Tana River, adding that they were on their final days of doing screening in orphanages in Malindi.
Alkan said the surgeries were conducted for patients with hernia, leukemia, dermatological problems and infection problems.
To them, he said, it was important to come and offer help to people in the world who have problems and do not have ability to access health care.
The medic said the most common ailments they have found out include asthma, infections, respiratory problems and malnutrition, particularly in the remote areas.
Yusuf Sadiq, senior clerk Malindi Islamic Centre for Orphans, thanked the sponsors who organised the medical camp who normally support the children with different ailments such as eyes and dental care, among other diseases.
Normally, he said, they take their orphans to Afya International hospital through the sponsors to get eye treatment and those that require spectacles are given for free to enable them see clearly during learning.
“We really thank the donors and urge other organisations with similar hearts like Time for Help and Omeriye to come in and help our orphanage,” he said.
Sadiq further said as an orphanage they strive to pay the National Hospital Insurance Fund to the children but appealed for support so as to enable all of them access health care easily.
At the Heart Children’s Home the team not only conducted screening and offered medication for the orphans, but also organised lunch for them, bought foodstuff, clothes, pierced ears for the young girls and cut cakes marked ‘Heart Children’s Home' for the orphans to celebrate with them.
They also bough paint and painted the home so as to ensure the orphans stayed in a good place and bought medical equipment for children with special needs.
Nuru Said,who is charge of Heart Children’s Home, said they were happy to receive the doctors from Turkey and Belgium to offer medical services to the orphans.
She said so far, they have 31 children who stay at the home some with health challenges others which they can manage while the complex ones need help from well-wishers.
Chris Vragen, a doctor from Belgium who is a volunteer for Times for Help organisation, said they conducted about 30 surgeries since they started and many others who were seen by the doctors.
He said they visited two orphanages where they are helping the children in treatment and free medication.
“We know that not only medical issues are facing these orphans but even the buildings are also not in good condition so we are helping so that during rainy season they will be in a good place,” he said.
