County First Lady, OWI reach out to the vulnerable with Free Medical Camp
More than 400 households comprising the elderly, widows and orphans in Kiminini Sub County today benefited from free medical check-ups and treatment courtesy of the Outreach to the World INC and the Office of the Trans Nzoia County first lady Lilian Natembeya.
Speaking at the Kiminini Deliverance church where she graced the opening of the annual medical camp Mrs. Natembeya noted that there were several health sector needs hence the need for a multi sectoral collaboration in order to achieve the Universal Health Care services.
She called for collaborative efforts to see that the health matters of the people of Trans Nzoia especially for the Elderly and the most vulnerable members of the communities are met.
The First Lady applauded the Outreach to the World INC (OWI) fraternity for organizing the medical camp to cater for the elderly, children and the most vulnerable people of Kiminini to get treatment.
She appreciated the (OWI) for the love they have showered to the people of Kiminini and its environs adding that the team’s selflessness is overwhelming.
Mrs. Natembeya also acknowledged (OWI) family for their continued sacrifice and support of the annual initiative for the last 19 years saying it has helped support many patients who could not have afford the huge medical bills for either their elderly parents, children and even relatives.
Further, Mrs Natembeya called on members of the public to embrace the NHIF health insurance scheme, adding that the County Government through the NATECARE initiative has registered a number of households who are benefiting through the county health scheme.
She disclosed that she is looking forward to more partnerships on the palliative care for patients living with lifestyle diseases like cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure among others, saying there is an increase in the number of people with the diseases.
The First Lady also called on both men and women to embrace regular medical checkup on their cancer status, saying this will help manage the situation in early stages adding that this will be less costly.
On her part, the Outreach to the World INC (OWI) President Marjaana Seilonen said the goal and the mission of the program is to empower the people and the community to take care of orphans and widows as well as the sick and the poor in the community.
She reiterated the organization’s collaboration with both the department of health and the office of the First Lady in the upcoming activities to ensure that more possible members of the community from the region benefits from the annual medical camp.
Marjaana also said apart from the medical camp, (OWI) is sponsoring more than seventy students through their primary, secondary school colleges and university level, adding that the program aims at assisting students poor students with good performance in the society to achieve their goals in life hence thereafter assisting their family members in future.
The (OWI) Kenya Managing Director Mrs Irine Mulunya said the initiative started in 2004 with an intention of reaching the community through different services that were not met by the government, by looking at the basic needs of the community and one of the key basic needs is health care.
She noted that despite the government effort of ensuring UHC is achieved, there is still need for more efforts because the community is very vulnerable and are living below the poverty line hence cannot even afford transport to take them to government medical facilities.
Some of the members of the public who were treated at the medical camp led by Judith Okoth and Alex Tolondo thanked the OWI and the Office of the First Lady for the initiative saying it has helped her together with his two school going children.
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