By M, KNA
Migori County Chief Officer in charge of Public Health, Marble Chanzu, has urged residents of Migori to adopt health-seeking behaviour to prevent avoidable diseases.
Speaking during a medical camp in Nyagot Jobe village, Kanyasa Ward, in Nyatike, Chanzu, said that the health-seeking behaviour among the residents of Migori was still low, especially among men.
“Men are the head of the family, and it is important that they show direction and guidance in health matters to ensure their family is healthy,” she noted.
The medical camp provided free screening services to lifestyle diseases like cancer, Tuberculosis (TB), diabetes and HIV and other treatable diseases and blood donation with over 1,000 residents benefiting from the programme.
The medical camp also provided a platform for Social Health Authority (SHA) registration, birth and Identification Card registrations.
Chanzu, however, urged the county residents to register on the SHA platform to benefit from the government health care system. Migori County has so far registered 42 percent of its population.
She explained that SHA is important because it covers every disease, unlike the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF).
“When the citizens register and utilize the public hospitals, the money remitted by SHA will help improve the health care facilities to provide ever better services to our people,” she expounded.
She explained that the medical camp outreach will benefit the county residents, who do not have a nearby health facility.
The residents of Nyagot Jobe village have been forced to seek a health care facility four kilometres away in Sori town, which at times becomes impossible due to a lack of transport. The official, however, committed that the nearby dispensary will soon be operational this financial year to help the community access health care services.
Chanzu also applauded the Community Health Volunteers (CHVs) for mobilizing the residents for the outreach camp, noting that a lot of lives will be saved in the process.
“Imagine someone having diabetes or cancer that they did not know, the camp will help to do screening and help the individual to start early treatment,” she said.
Migori County Director of Public Health and Sanitation, Clement Odero, explained that the medical camp has injected hope by bringing medical services closer to the people of Nyatike.
Odero noted that Nyatike, a semi-arid region has been having challenges of medical services because the health care facilities are far.
“The residents of Nyagot Jobe have been having challenges with immunization because the nearby health care facility at Sori town is four kilometres away,” he said.
Odero said that the medical camp will help to solve some of these challenges by giving the necessary medical care attention, especially to women and children who find it difficult to walk long distances to seek medical services in Sori town.
Paul Okumu, a retired Naval Officer, was pleased with the outreach medical camp, calling it a lifesaver for many residents of Nyagot Jobe.
“I have been screened for diabetes, cancer and TB among many other diseases, but I thank God I am okay,” he narrated.
Migori County, with the help of various partners, aims to take the medical camp outreach to all the sub-counties to help diagnose lifestyle diseases, as well as create awareness on health-seeking behaviour among the residents.
