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By Jane Mugambi
Kirinyaga, Kenya: A week-long free medical camp in Kirinyaga provided eye care to over 1,000 residents and resulted in more than 100 people receiving free cataract surgeries.
The medical initiative, a collaboration between the Kirinyaga County Government’s Ministry of Health and Pankaj Social Services, screened over a thousand individuals.
The major eye conditions detected were cataracts and pterygium, with 100 patients undergoing surgery for these issues. Services were offered at various satellite facilities established within the county’s health centres.
A Pterygium is a raised, fleshy, and triangular-shaped growth that begins in the corner of the eye. It is a noncancerous growth of conjunctival tissue that can spread over the cornea, often resulting from extended exposure to UV light, dust, or wind.
While a Pterygium is often asymptomatic, significant growth can obstruct vision, cause irritation, or lead to cosmetic concerns. In contrast, Cataracts are cloudy areas located in the eye’s lens that impair vision.
County Executive Committee Member for Medical Services, Public Health and Sanitation George Karoki said the medical camp that ended on Saturday 28th March, targeted between 3,000 to 4,000 residents.
“This initiative is part of the county’s efforts to address rising cases of eye-related complications linked to non-communicable diseases. This outreach involves free screening, treatment, surgeries, and follow-up care,” Karoki said.
Karoki said the initiative is part of Governor Anne Waiguru’s effort to enhance primary healthcare in a bid to help reduce disease burden at the community level.
Karoki noted that the county continues to record a high burden of non-communicable diseases, which often contribute to eye complications among residents.
“Kirinyaga County is one of the counties where we have quite a high number of non-communicable diseases, and conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure often lead to eye problems such as cataracts,” he said.
He said the exercise is being conducted across sub-counties to identify patients in need of specialized care and refer them for surgery at the referral hospital.
“That is why we have taken this deliberate effort to ensure early screening and treatment so that our population does not progress to severe eye conditions,” he added.
“We want to encourage our people to go for screening in our medical facilities where the free medical camp is being done so that they can receive the free treatment, so far, hundreds of residents have been screened across the county, with those in need of advanced care referred to the hospital for surgery,” Waiguru said.
Camp Manager Gurpreet Singh from Pankaj Social Services said the exercise has recorded steady progress and urged more residents to take advantage of the services.
Singh noted that many eye conditions go untreated due to lack of awareness and regular check-ups.
“Many people neglect their eye health due to age, environmental factors like dust, or simply lack of awareness, which is why regular check-ups are very important,” he said.
