Pakistan Navy medical camp saves residents from agony

Reuben Mwambingu and Harrison Kivisu

Thousands of Mombasa residents have benefited from medical services offered by the Pakistan Navy, during an ongoing free medical camp that kicked-off at Mvita Health Centre yesterday.

A team of specialists in various medical disciplines arrived in Mombasa aboard two Pakistani Navy Ships (PNS) ASLAT and MOAWIN as part of overseas deployment as well as goodwill gesture.

The free medical camp is a blessing to residents as it came just as health services at public hospitals in the county are slowly grounding to a halt owing to a go-slow by about 700 workers over delayed payment of December salaries.

The protest began on Wednesday with workers refusing to attend to patients.

Mombasa KMPDU secretary Dr Abidan Mwachi said all health workers had not received pay for December and  efforts to get an explanation from Governor Hassan Joho’s administration have not been successful. 

County Communication director Richard Chacha, however, said the delayed payment of salaries was occasioned by failure by the National Treasury to release devolved funds on time. 

Pakistan High Commissioner to Kenya Saqlain Syedah said the free medical camp is an initiative to foster good relations between the two countries as well as create awareness of health facilities that are available in Pakistan and the collaboration that can be done in the health sector.

“We want to reach as many people as we can and maybe next time we can have more counties covered under such initiatives,” said the envoy.

Complete camp

“The team of specialists includes surgical specialists, anesthetists, pediatricians, pathologists and dental surgeons. Laboratory facilities are also available in the vessels,” Syedah added.

“In case of serious medical cases there is a full hospital on the ship, so any person who requires serious medication or serious kind of surgery that will be done on the ship,” she said.

At the camp, the Pakistan Navy is running a complete Military Hospital Camp covering all major outpatient department activities including minor surgeries, dental check ups, eye check ups, general health, orthopaedic, renal, cardiac and dermatological check ups, among others.

Residents have termed the medical camp as godsend.

“After being taken in round circles at the Coast Provincial General Hospital for the better part of yesterday, I bumped into an announcement about the medical camp … and I rushed here the first thing in the morning,” said Joyce Wairimu, a resident of Makande.

Local interpreters are on site to address language barrier challenges.

Clinical Officer in charge of the Mvita facility, Rosemary Muathe, said the medical camp had put the little known centre in the international limelight as it had attracted an overwhelming number of patients, who were served effortlessly.