Published: August 14, 2006
Medical Project Treats Villagers in Kenya
Nearly 800 people from communities surrounding Nginyang traveled for miles in order to receive medical treatment at a health center here Thursday.
Treatments were made available thanks to Exercise Natural Fire 2006, a combined multilateral training exercise in which Kenyan, Tanzanian, Ugandan and U.S. service members provide medical, veterinary and engineering civil affairs programs to benefit rural areas in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
"Medicine is not always available for people in this area," said John Kaladwo, a Nginyang villager. "We see this exercise as a gift from above." Many villagers had the same feelings about the exercise.
Another Nginyang villager, Lokasa Samut, said, "We are very much happy about the way you worked together. We see this as good assistance and something not to be forgotten."
Doctors from each country used different techniques and expended close to 1,350,000 Kenyan shillings ($18,585 USD) on medications to treat everything from the common cold to malaria, and even performed minor surgical procedures on several individuals.
"The people travel long distances to receive a little bit of help," said U.S. Air Force Dr. (Maj.) Dai Tran, civil action team leader. "My team is happy to be here and very happy to help as many people as we can."
Agnes Akeno, a nurse at the health center in Nginyang, said that on a normal week the center would see about 20 patients.
However, she says there are many more people who need help that don't receive it because of lack of money.
"Most people cannot afford medication, let alone healthcare and this help is good for them," Akeno said. "In one day, we were able to treat more than 40 weeks of patients."
Akeno went on to say that living in a small village is hard on anyone and that providing any amount of help offers hope that the future will be brighter.
The medical civil action project was the first of three scheduled in Kenya during the exercise.
Source: U.S. Department of Defense
judythpiazza@gmail.com
Search News
Daily News
