Over 200 children in Garissa benefit from free surgeries at paediatric medical camp

Over 200 children with chronic paediatric ailments in Garissa County benefited from a three-day free medical camp that ended on Wednesday.

More than 30 paediatric surgeons from the Kenya Association of Paediatric Surgeons (KAPS), drawn from across the country, camped at the Garissa Referral Hospital to attend to children referred from sub-counties and refugee camps for surgery.

Mahat Salah, the Garissa Referral Hospital administrator, said over 200 children were successfully treated by the paediatric doctors who had been at the Garissa Referral Hospital since Monday.

"We are pleased to host almost the entire paediatric surgeon community in the country, who volunteered to help. Children with serious paediatric ailments have successfully undergone surgeries that their parents could not afford due to the high costs involved," he said.

He added that having paediatric neurosurgeons at the Garissa Referral Hospital was a great opportunity, as there were none available in the entire county, which previously forced the hospital to refer cases to Nairobi.

The hospital administrator expressed his appreciation to organisations, including the Yussuf Haji Foundation, Ummulkheir Foundation, and Medical Aid Alliance, who supported the annual paediatric medical camp in Garissa.

Aisha Mohamed Mursal, a mother of eight, who brought her ailing two-year-old, said she was happy to receive help from the free medical camp.

"I came all the way from Hagardere Refugee Camp to seek healthcare for my child, who has been ill for the past seven months. I was told it was a chronic ailment that required specialised doctors, but they were not available in the refugee camps or at the Garissa Referral Hospital. Today, I am happy my child is in the theatre undergoing surgery," she said.

Halima Abdi sat pensively in front of the hospital surgery ward, waiting for her four-year-old child, who developed complications that required surgery, as prescribed by the doctors.

She said the free camp was a blessing, as she had no money to cover her child’s medical needs.

Garissa Senator Abdikadir Mohamed Haji, who joined the paediatric surgeons at Garissa Referral Hospital on Monday, said the Kenya Association of Paediatric Surgeons deserves commendation for their innovative approach to addressing the challenges of surgical care for children, the majority of whom are from needy families.

"The heroic efforts and sacrifices you make in your everyday work, along with the invaluable free services you have provided to the people of Garissa, are deeply appreciated, and we will never take them for granted," he said.

He urged the county government to sponsor paediatric surgical services for the community, providing opportunities for children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

He further called for the empowerment of local medical practitioners to deliver advanced paediatric surgical care to children with chronic ailments.