Safaricom Foundation's free medical camps

Residents of Kiharu, Murang’a undergo check-ups during a free medical camp, which was facilitated by Safaricom Foundation at Muchungucha Primary School. The foundation has set aside Sh37 million to facilitate 12 free medical camps countrywide targeting high-population areas.  [PHOTO: BONIFACE GIKANDI/STANDARD]

The Safaricom Foundation has set aside Sh37 million to facilitate 12 free medical camps country wide targeting high population areas.

Safaricom Foundation Trustee Janice Mwendameru said in the medical camps, the experts will also be carrying out prostate cancer screening for men who in the past have been shying away despite threat on their lives.
Mwendameru, who was speaking at Muchungucha Primary School in Kiharu said the foundation's construction of maternity wings and rehabilitation of health centres was intervention measures towards improved health care.

During the medical camp, Kenya Diabetes Management and Information Centre Chairperson Dr Nancy Ngugi said many of the Kenyans lack information on how to handle non-communicable diseases like diabetes, hypertension and cancer.
Ngugi said scores of people from rural areas are suffering due to lack of information on how to deal with non-communicable disease.
She attributed more cases of diabetes to lack of proper health education and appealed to the government to ensure there was outreach programmes to reach the mass.
"There is need for intensified education targeting the rural set up as presently diabetes preference rate in rural areas stands at 2.4 percent," said the official.

On cancer screening, she said the medical team has been delighted with many of the men seeking for prostate cancer screening unlike in the past where only females sought the service.
"There is need for all both men and women understand cancer is a threat to mankind thus need for early detection to enable treatment," said Ngugi.
According to statistics, 2,127 cases of prostate cancer  have been reported in the country as compared to 546 that had been reported between 1990 and 2014.

Kiharu MP Irungu Kang'ata who attended the function appreciated  the gesture by Safaricom Foundation to sponsor one of the medical camps in his constituency.