By Josephine Ngumba
Over 2,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) benefited from two medical clinics at Kibera D.O's office and at the Jamhuri showground spearheaded by Kenya Red Cross in partnership with Ministry of Health, Avenue Health Care, Aga Khan Hospital, Kenya Commercial Bank, Medical Assistance Programme (MAP), Nakumatt supermarkets, among others.
The Public Health unit of the Kenya Red Cross provided both curative and preventive medical care, basic emergency health care, supported access to primary health care through provision of basic First Aid, and facilitated health education and promotion among the affected population.
The Kenya Red Cross Health Officer Moses Atuko observed that the exercise targeted the informal settlements in Nairobi hit by the post election violence. Most of the health facilities in the expansive slum are not fully operational and at the same time many of the IDPs from the informal settlement cannot afford basic health care.
"Common cases treated during the medical camp were diarrhoea, respiratory tract infections, malaria and skin diseases, among other ailments," said Mr. Atuko. "There were few cases of chronic diseases, such as high blood pressure, cancer, diabetes and HIV and AIDS," he added. There were also some few cases of burns, cuts, wounds and fractures.
Among the children who comprised 75 percent of all patients attended, waterborne diseases, nutritional deficiency, eye infections, diarrhea and skin diseases were high among the ailments treated. Together with drug prescriptions, the children were given Vitamin A Supplementation to counter nutritional disorders, as well as de-wormers. Apart from curative services, psychosocial support was extended to counter the trauma related to the violence.
The chief of medical services at Avenue Health Care Dr. Edgar Karanja, said there was good response from the residents of the densely populated slum. Dr. Karanja, who was based at the Kibera D.O's office camp, also noted that most patients showed signs of stress.
A 90 year-old-man with a septic wound on his leg was referred to Avenue Hospital for specialized treatment. He had lost a lot of skin; his leg was deformed and required skin grafting among other operations to correct his condition. Some chronic illnesses were treated while psychosocial support was incorporated in the one day medical camp.
The Jamhuri Park showground medical camp treated 422 patients mostly women and children and People Living with HIV. Over one thousand people were treated earlier in three days of medical intervention at Jamhuri. The medical centre received support in form of dietary requirements and ARV support for PLHIV. The drugs and other medical interventions were donated by Lea Toto and the Coptic hospital.
Among the IDPs at Jamhuri are also a number of special medical cases that require medical intervention beyond the scope of the facility. However, this is no longer affordable to IDPs and the cost of medication is too high for the patients to meet. Among them is a case of an 18-month-old baby who is partially blind and paralyzed. "I could not afford to take my daughter to Kenyatta National Hospital where I used to take her for clinics," said Debra Atieno.
Elsewhere in the informal settlement the elated residents narrated the joy of receiving medical attention after attending the camps. Edward Sinelwa, his wife and two-year-old child could not hide their joy after the family was treated for general health ailments. Sinelwa could not afford the prohibitive cost of treatment after his only means of livelihood was snatched away in the electoral violence. To the Sinelwa family and two thousand others reached through the camp it was a song of joy as their health concerns were addressed in the medical camp.