Wear sweaters and gumboots during funeral vigils, Kakamega women urged

Kwisero residents queue to be examined and receive treatment during a free medical camp at Shirotsa Primary-Khwisero. Kakamega County Woman Representative Rachel Ameso asked women who were the majority beneficiaries to stay in warm clothes while attending funeral vigils to avoid diseases associated with cold. PHOTO: ROBERT AMALEMBA/STANDARD

KENYA: Kakamega County Woman Representative Rachel Ameso has asked women from the area to wear heavy clothes while attending funeral vigils to avoid diseases related to colds.

Ameso speaking at a free medical camp held in Kwisero-Shirotsa Primary, appeared surprised by what doctors told her last weekend of the beneficiaries of the exercise which saw over 1,000 patients treated.

"I have gathered that many of us here are women and suffer from arthritis and common colds caused by exposing ourselves to cold and chilly weather. I know we women love going to funerals vigils and that could be breeding ground for this," she said continuing;

"Learn to wear heavy clothing whenever sleeping at funerals and stop walking in mud. Kindly get gumboots if you have to so that we can have a healthy society we need you healthy."

Ameso together with other Khwisero professionals under the umbrella of Khwisero Professional Development Foundation had organized the two day medical camp in conjunction with Guru Nanak hospital-Nairobi, as a way of giving back to society.

Doctor Nyikuli of Guru Nanak told the Nairobian that his hospital brought six doctors and five nurses in the exercise that saw majority women turn up with assorted ailments,

"Eighty percent of the patients we treated had issues with common cold, blood pressure, eye problems, sugar level and arthritis. We stabilised ailments that needed to be referred and directed them to Kakamega County General Hospital as we treated diseases that could be managed and gave medicine," said Dr Nyikuli , "We treated more women, about seventy percent than children and men."