Mogotio residents receive free specialised services from South Korean doctors

Doctors from South Korea's Kwangju Christian Hospital attend to a patient during a three-day medical outreach in Mogotio. [Kipsang Joseph, Standard]

Thousands of Mogotio residents received free specialised services during a three-day medical outreach by a 25-member team from South Korea's Kwangju Christian Hospital.

‎‎From early morning, residents from as far as Majimoto and Emining started streaming into Mogotio Sub-County Hospital compound, hoping to see specialists to attend to their ailments.

‎Dr Wee Hwang Kim, a surgeon and leader of the delegation, said the team was driven by a mission to support underserved communities while strengthening long-term medical exchange between Kenya and South Korea.

"We are very grateful to Majimoto and Mogotio hospitals for inviting us. Our team includes internal medicine, dental surgery, rehabilitation, emergency and pediatric specialists. We hope to grow the interaction between Korean and Kenyan medical teams," said Dr Kim.

He said the partnership aims to open training opportunities for local clinicians abroad.

‎"In future, we want to invite doctors and medical students from Baringo to Kwangju Christian Hospital, South Korea is very advanced in medical technology, and we are ready to offer an exchange program to share the skills with Kenya’s medical team," he said.

‎Mogotio County Hospital medical superintendent Joseph Wainaina admitted that the impact of the medical outreach mission has been overwhelming.

‎"The team has seen more than 1500 patients in just three days here, and people are still streaming in. These specialists, including paediatricians, radiologists, dentists and others have addressed conditions that our community rarely gets help with," he said.

A doctors from South Korea's Kwangju Christian Hospital examines a patient during a three-day medical outreach in Mogotio. [Kipsang Joseph, Standard]

‎‎The delegation began its work on Monday at the Majimoto dispensary before shifting operations to Mogotio from Tuesday to Thursday.

‎Dr Wainaina revealed that the partnership, anchored in a Memorandum of Understanding signed last year, has already strengthened service delivery.

‎"They have supported us with a medical library stocked with hundreds of books, toys and storybooks for our pediatric ward. We are also celebrating Kwangju Christian Hospital's 120 years of existence through this overseas medical camp," he said.

‎He said that the hospital hopes to launch a long-term exchange programme where local medical staff travel to South Korea for advanced training while Korean specialists continue offering hands-on support and learning tropical medicine in return.

‎Mogotio MCA Mark Sialo, who also sits on the hospital board, described the mission as life-changing.

A doctors from South Korea's Kwangju Christian Hospital performs a procedure on a patient during a three-day medical outreach in Mogotio. [Kipsang Joseph, Standard]

‎"This partnership has truly borne fruit; people have received free medical services for many ailments, eye issues, bone problems, diabetes, asthma, and dental complications. They have also donated books worth Sh500,000 and built a rehabilitation centre for street children," he said.

‎Sialo revealed that one Kenyan student has already been fully sponsored to study in South Korea, and the country expects to receive an ambulance through the collaboration.

However, Sialo urged the government to address challenges facing local hospitals, especially delayed remittance under the Social Health Authority (SHA).

‎"SHA is working, but remittances are delayed. When hospitals cannot buy medicine on time, it affects service delivery. We ask the government to look into this," he said.

‎‎Hilda Songok, who brought her sick sister, said she was amazed by the level of care.

‎" They attended to us and gave us medicine. I saw people with many problems, eye issues, broken bones, dental issues and everyone was helped," she said.

‎Hamisi Nasoro, a resident of Mogotio, laude the medical services.

“‎Their services are very good. In our hospitals, sometimes you don't get enough medicine unless you go outside, but here they gave us full prescriptions, even enough for a month. The language was a challenge, but they had translators," he said.

‎Another resident, Issak Mustapha, thanked the team for offering treatment to people who cannot afford specialised care.

Doctors from South Korea's Kwangju Christian Hospital interact with children during a three-day medical outreach in Mogotio. [Kipsang Joseph, Standard]

‎"Today we were treated for free and given medicine, our worry only is that this is the last day, yet the numbers are so many, we pray they extend their services," he said.

Due to the long queues, Dr Kim said the team will work late into the night to ensure everyone is attended to.

‎"Our dentist worked until midnight every day, we treated tooth extractions, dental caries and offered tooth protection advice. Our rehabilitation specialist also treats Mani patients with limb, back and joint issues “, he said.

‎As the camp closed, the team coordinated by Prof Sang Young Park expressed interest in returning to Mogotio for more missions.

‎"We thank Kenya for welcoming us, we hope this partnership continues for many years," he said.