• August 3, 2022
• By Collins Onyango
• Posts

FREE MUTUKANIO EYE AND DENTAL MEDICAL CAMP REPORT 23RD- 24TH JULY 2022

                                        FREE MUTUKANIO EYE AND DENTAL MEDICAL CAMP REPORT

23RD – 24TH JULY 2022

FOREWORD

This report for the first free medical camp July, 2022, marks a critical milestone for our Foundation Nyaluk Foundation because it is now the benchmark that outlines the consensus on policies, reform measures, future projects and programmes that Nyaluk Foundation is committed to implement to achieve the health goal that is to “Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages” (SDG3).Among the priority areas scheduled for implementation in the initial year of the plan are projects geared towards encouraging individuals to incorporating health indicators that are cost-effective ,appropriate ,reasonable ,and aligned with current and future national health systems. Kihingo, a ward in Njoro Sub-County, Nakuru City saw the two-day event with people across all ages walking in from all over. There was a no reported accidents or incidents and we Thank God for that. Accordingly, this report also outlines specific issues and challenges that were faced during the implementation of the Free Medical Aid which included the need to reach out to even younger people with difficulties arising from the lack of knowledge, the necessary medical guidelines and most importantly lack of money to even afford to go to the hospital. The attainment of SDG3 is crucial for sustainable human development, both as a human right and an essential contributor to the economic growth of any society and at Nyaluk we hope to achieve this. A large part of the financing of the event was from Skygen International and we forever remain indebted.

Finally, I must emphasize that the successful implementation of Health goals calls for dedication, support and commitment from all Kenyans. We continue to appreciate the development assistance we continuously receive from our various partnerships and donors. I am confident that if we continue working together, we will collectively achieve the vision we set out for this Foundation

 COLLINS ONYANGO

CEO/ FOUNDER,

NYALUK FOUNDATION

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

On behalf of Nyaluk Foundation, I wish to acknowledge the generous contributions of the many people who came together to make our Medical Aid in Mutukanio a success. A special mention goes to Skygen International for the direction and support in facilitating the event and especially through Emanuel Elias Kitoi, Program manager at Skygen International and Anna Gabriel Nnko, CEO at Foundation for Preventive Health who were instrumental in providing the necessary technical and financial support for this undertaking. We would also like to thank Foundation for Preventive Health through Brenda Sakini for the commitment and support shown in planning and execution of the medical camp. We gratefully acknowledge the team from Egerton University Ian Nguata, Richard Otieno, Mercy Chelangat, Brian Kiplangat, Enock Kiaro and other members who contributed immensely to shaping the process since the first day to the last day and the many other stakeholders who participated in the event. We also extend our sincere gratitude to Raphael Okumu from OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation who was willing to collaborate, give and arrange for access to eye care information needed for the eye clinic. Special mentions go to all other participants who took their time to volunteer towards this noble task, Arnold Tuei, Fidelis Wangui and Ian Kimutai. We further appreciate the community health workers from Kihingo ward for effectively and efficiently communicating this noble course to the community in good time. And finally, a special thanks to our Nyaluk Foundation Directors, who tirelessly worked to plan, analyze and make the event a success.

MISS CYNTHIA AWUOR

DIRECTOR,

NYALUK FOUNDATION  

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The free medical camp was held at Mutukanio hospital in Kihingo, Njoro on 23^rd -24^th July 2022. Essential Screening for eye and dental were conducted, as well as general consultations. Pre- camp community mobilization was effectively done with the help of community health workers in the area and religious leaders which ensured the community was well informed, leading to an excellent turnout. Nyaluk Foundation is delighted to report that a total of 823 patients received free medical care and treatment during the two day event, an increase from the planned 650 community members.

Success of the event required partnerships with other organizations, this not only involved funding but also provision of resources and personnel. The ongoing partnership with Skygen international ensured that the financial support needed for the camp was available. Additionally the camp was successful due to donations of sunglasses, kid’s myopia, reading glasses- presbyopia and adult hyperopia from Skygen International and OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation. A donation from Shalina Healthcare for essential pharmaceuticals also ensured that more patients were treated during the free medical camp.

Nyaluk foundation through partnership with Egerton University Faculty of health sciences had four volunteers for the department to help the optometrist technician and the dentist during the medical camp. General medical consultation was done by doctors from Nyaluk medical centre and Mutukanio hospital, both are health centres under Nyaluk Foundation.

Challenges of conducting a large medical camp, were successfully faced with support from our partners. Nyaluk Foundation’s hopes for the future are to continue to expand the established networks and build on success of helping more communities in other regions of the country. 

BACKGROUND

The Organizer

The free medical camp was organized by Nyaluk Foundation, a non–profit, Non-Governmental

Organization working with marginalized groups of people especially the rural community in

Kenya. Nyaluk Foundation was fully registered as company limited by guarantee number CLGK6F79Q with the purpose of improving the livelihoods of the rural marginalized communities through health and social work activities.

The facility

Mutukanio hospital is a facility managed by Nyaluk foundation. The medical centre is located in Kihingo, Njoro Sub County and works in conjunction with the Ministry of Health, Njoro Sub County. The centre has two consultation rooms, a maternity wing, a medical lab, a male ward and a female ward and staff houses housing a few staff.

The camp

The camp was held between 23^rd-24^th July, 2022. The outreach team consisted of four volunteers, two doctors, one optometrist, one dentist, and two community health workers, two representatives from Skygen, one representative from FPH and four representatives from Nyaluk foundation.

The team worked together to ensure that all patients registered were treated. A detailed schedule was provided for the outreach team.

Budget

Meeting the expected target for the medical aid was difficult as the community responded to the call-in numbers more than we had anticipated. Since all the services offered on the two-day event were free, we went deep into our pockets to reach our intended goal which was care by prevention. The overall cost of everything was catered for by Skygen International from pharmaceuticals, transport and other expenses.

The initial overall budget was at ksh 239,936, but then because of the numbers the actual expenditure for the camp was 246,575, translating to ksh 6,639 more than the overall budget. The volunteers, community health workers, nurses, doctors. Dentists and optometrists also received allowances as a token of appreciation. The catering team, outsourced, also provided meals to the entire outreach team.

The partners made contributions to the success of the camp in the following ways.

• Skygen International- funding for camp, ksh 239,936
• OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation – free glasses (sunglasses, kids myopia, adults hyperporia and reading glasses).
• Shalina Healthcare, though not a partner in this case, donated pharmaceuticals used during the medical camp.

Statistics from the camp

The section below is a comprehensive overview of the figures and facts obtained from the camp.

During the medical camp, data was collected using patient registration forms filled by community health workers and data sheets filled by doctors and medical personnel in the consultation rooms.

We registered a total of 823 patients for the medical camp. Out of the 820 patients, 281 registered for eye services, 100 for dental services and 442 for general consultation.

Patients who registered for general consultation and dental were all attended to by the outreach team. Out of the 280 patients who registered for eye services, a total of 67 were not attended to, bringing the total number of patients who received eye services to 213.

Data from the dental team showed that, out of the 100 patients registered and attended to, 85% were above 50 years, most of the presenting with periodontitis and retained roots due to dental caries. An approximate 10% were aged between 17-49, majority presenting with fluorosis, gingivitis and multiple carious teeth. The remaining 5% were in the age group below 16 years, presenting with over retained milk teeth and dental fluorosis. The team also encountered three patients who required further investigations and they were referred to Nakuru level 6 hospital in Nakuru town. Additionally, the dentist agreed to book patients who presented with caries and calculus for procedures on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at Mutukanio hospital. Tuesday we have scheduled to perform tooth extractions and Wednesdays we will perform full mouth scaling.

The team offering general consultation were able to attend to all the 442 patients registered for services. From the data sheets filled by the doctors most patients presented with hypertension, diabetes, peptic ulcers and arthritis. Additionally, a large percentage of the women attended to, complained of lower back pains.

Statistics from the eye team showed that out of the 281 patients registered for services, 67 of them were not attended to due to constraints. Total people with mature cataracts recorded were 39, individuals developing cataracts were 11, and allergy and inflammation related cases were 120, presbyopes recorded were 41 and cases recorded due to injury were 3.

On 24^th July 2022, the Foundation’s Legal Advisor gave a talk on Succession Laws in Kenya and the process of Transfer of Property to the patients before the commencement of the Medical Aid activities that were held therein. We generally noted the need for continuous dispensation of Legal knowledge, from the questions asked therein and the personal consultations from various patients thereafter that followed on various legal issues that they had. Moving forward, there is need for an elaborate capacity building plan to enable dispensation of legal knowledge at less lengthy intervals, and follow up plans on individual cases, to enable conclusion of the same and either subsidized costs or on a pro bono basis, to enhance affordability.

Strengths

• Excellent community mobilization as showcased by the massive patient turn-out  Great team-work between all key stakeholders  A receptive community.
• Short but effective consultation time in the doctor’s rooms.
• Proper flow of communication within the team
• Adequate financial, intellectual and manpower support from all key stakeholders  Flowing queues.

Weaknesses

• Inadequate medical supplies, especially the essential drugs.
• Nominal patient-doctor communications due to lack of effective translators
• Inability to effectively perform certain tests due to lack of medications or equipment.
• Fewer specialists especially for eye and dental services.
• Ineffective client feedback system.
• Delay in initial disbursement for funds for proper planning.
• Lack of proper dental equipment such as dental chair and other equipment to ease conducting dental procedures.

Monitoring and Evaluation

A regular tracking of the progress of implementation efforts is essential. In a continuously changing world, health systems need to monitor their own performance in order to learn, adapt, and address unintended challenges or consequences of large (or even small) initiatives. Evaluation is important because it ensures that efforts work as intended and contribute to the foundations mission and objective. We welcome any involvement of regional and global

stakeholders that are willing to share any observations made during our course, as this allows for better initiatives and mutual learning.

Recommendations for future improvement.

• Increasing client flow by: setting the triage tent outside, increasing the number of general practitioners, more HTC booths.
• More specialists notably: ENT, dentists, ophthalmologist.
• Supplying drugs for common disease disorders e.g. antibiotics and analgesics.
• Shipping of portable equipment to the facility for the camp from Skygen Tanzania in advance.
• Creating a local based data analysis data sheets
• Increasing the number of attending doctors, optometrist and ophthalmologist and dentists to ensure all patients registered are attended to especially in the eye clinic.
• Two optical technicians should be added to the team to handle and repair patient’s glasses in cases where glasses do not need complete replacement.

Conclusion

Through the SDGs, the world has committed to an ambitious development agenda aimed at improving the health and well-being of all people. As health care costs continue to rise, enormous opportunities exist to increase the value of health care and improve health insurance coverage. Addressing these fundamental problems and fulfilling the potential of our health care system will require innovative polices to help us Kenyans get the care that best meets our needs, and to create an environment that rewards high-quality, efficient care. On 24^th July 2022 after closing the camp, the stakeholders present at the camp gathered for debrief and review. The debrief was held at the same venue, and 8 participants were present 4 from Nyaluk, 2 from Skygen, 1 from FPH and 1 optometrist. Discussions were held on strengths, weaknesses and potential improvements in the future. It was agreed that a new approach to primary health care is central to achieving the SDGs. Progress will require courage and determination, and a lot of support from key stakeholders in the Ministry of Health as these initiatives   are aimed to improve policies that come down to the local communities. 

Appendix 1

NYALUK FOUNDATION MEDICAL CAMP SCHEDULE 23^RD-24^TH JULY 2022 AT ACK MUTUKANIO HOSPITAL, NJORO, NAKURU

 DAY 2: 24^TH JULY