In Lodwar, in Kenya’s remote northwest, access to healthcare is very limited. MAF flies medical teams from CURE to provide specialised treatment for children in need – including flights providing important ongoing care.
Story by Hillim Gitonga
Daniel Ekai is just like any kid: he likes to play.
Unfortunately, one day his playtime didn’t go as planned, and Daniel ended up with a bone injury.
In the city, it wouldn’t necessarily be a big deal, but out here in Lodwar, options for medical care are limited.
Thanks to those who keep us in the air, MAF flew to Daniel’s region with a team from CURE, an organisation providing funded surgeries and Christian care for children living with disabilities.
It was CURE that connected Daniel with surgery at the Africa Inland Church’s Kijabe hospital.
Today, Daniel’s mother, Monica Ekai brings him to see the CURE team for a return visit.
“These visits mean a lot to us ever since we came back from Kijabe after Daniel’s surgery,” said Monica
Access to healthcare is very limited in this region so we must wait for the CURE team to track my son’s progress
For the medical team, the journey to Lodwar from Nairobi would have cost them 12 hours travelling over poor roads. With the MAF flight, this was reduced to just two hours, making it possible for the team to maximise their time on the ground with patients.
The eight-person team were able to attend to 44 patients during the mobile clinic. Among them were both new and returning patients, with 20 of them seeking care for the first time.
Their focus was to have follow-up consultations, particularly for post-operative patients. These check-ups allow the team to assess recovery progress and ensure that patients who were previously seen are healing as expected.
Even though no surgeries were conducted on this visit, reconnecting with returning patients is a very important part of their care. Progress is carefully tracked during these clinics, by phone calls and when necessary, through home visits.
The team identified seven patients who will require surgery and will be scheduled for treatment. Thankfully, no urgent new conditions were reported during the clinic.
As much as the location was remote, this outreach was made possible through the partnership between MAF and CURE which helps the medical team to reach hard-to-access communities more efficiently.
By reducing travel time and other barriers, the partnership ensures that patients in remote regions like Lodwar can access specialised care.
From Naposmuru, we meet another mother, Tokoi Lokal. In her arms is her son, Isaac Lokal, who was born with both legs dislocated.
Tokoi heard about the outreach clinic and made the journey here in search for help.
“I am so thankful that the team came,” she said.
The doctors have told me that after the surgery and plaster, Isaac should be okay. That gives me hope.