Machakos residents urged to participate in health screening regularly

The county Committee Executive Member (CEM) in charge of health and emergency services Dr. Ruth Mutua said that most diseases are ignored during early stages only to be discovered in patients when they are at advanced level.

Mutua was speaking at Mukusu dispensary in Masinga subcounty during a free medical testing and treatment outreach organised by Hepto, a US-based non-profit medical organisation with branches in Somalia and Ethiopia.

“Our partnership with Hepto organisation has enabled us to bring more drugs to the dispensary and reach a large number of residents who were in need of medicines,” she said.

Mukusu dispensary serves an approximate number of 5500 patients.

About 400 residents were attended to during the free check up and treatment that included diabetic, blood pressure and cancer examination as well as Covid-19 vaccination.

Hepto representative Mohamed Ahmed informed the outreach that the organisation plans to support similar programmes in different parts of the country in future.

” We plan to expand our programmes to cover surgical medical camps and donate advanced medical equipment to needy health centres and hospitals in Machakos and outside, Ahmed said.

Hepto, Ahmed further said will work together with the county government to provide community trains skills and knowledge to local Community Health Volunteers who are spread across the county.

Mr Moses Muendo, 70, who benefited from the outreach urged more support towards screening and treatment of prostrate cancer among men which he said had not been sufficiently addressed.