The widowers’ empowerment support initiative has intensified the registration of elderly persons with the Social Health Authority (SHA) for them to access affordable healthcare.
The initiative that is being supported by Interior Principal
Secretary Raymond Omollo took the programme to Kasgunga ward in Suba North
constituency, where more than 120 elderly widowers enlisted with SHA.
Director of the initiative, Samuel Okombo, said they realised
that many elderly persons, especially widowers, have not been enlisted due to
challenges they face in accessing registration places.
Okombo and his team started the initiative to engage Kenyan
elderly widowers in sensitisation on health issues.
The programme has been done in Homa Bay, Kisumu, Nakuru and
Busia counties.
“Stigma and neglect are among the obstacles that make many
widowers not register with SHA. But through the initiative we’re taking the SHA
registration closer to the widowers,” Okombo said.
Speaking during a sensitisation programme in Kasgunga ward,
Suba North constituency, Okombo said many elderly widowers suffer from various
ailments at home.
Some of the diseases they suffer from are diabetes, hypertension, joint problems and other diseases that come with old age.
During the sensitisation, the elderly widowers are offered free tests for various ailments and are referred accordingly.
Okombo said they encourage the senior citizens to regularly
seek medical attention and keep personal hygiene.
The sensitisation also gives the elderly widowers a proper
platform to air their views and talk about their problems without fear.
“The SHA registration we’re undertaking enables them to
acquire medication at an affordable cost. Most senior citizens are introverts, hence we give counselling as an intervention,” he said.
In the programme, the senior citizens got nail cutters, hair shavers, vests, bathing soap and T-shirts. Okombo called for more collaboration to assist widowers across the country.
“There are some hygiene issues which people tend to ignore, but they have far-reaching consequences. Oral hygiene, which includes cutting of
nail,s is ignored, but they can cause serious health problems,” Okombo added.
Medical expert Isaac Kinaga said out of 40 elderly people
diagnosed with hypertension over 15 had full blown and were referred to
hospital for appropriate medical attention.
Many elderly persons also raised some issues they want the
government to help them address.
One of the elderly persons, Marcellus Juma,93, said that
they undergo a lot of tribulations due to neglect.
“Many of us are unable to access clean water for use. I
appeal to government agencies to construct water for us,” Juma said.
