Access to Life
Affordable Healthcare Facilities in Reach: Emurutoto Clinic
Emurutoto is a rural community, bordering the Masai Mara triangle in Kenya.
It is one of the larger of the communities in the vicinity, because unlike the others, it is on the main road between the Masai Mara and Serengeti, and it has a ‘shopping centre’ – a small complex of shops that meet basic needs.
Emurutoto and the neighbouring communities of Saparingo, Iltolish, Kimitent and Oilorien were in desperate need of a permanent, free to access, healthcare facility, that was easy to reach.
The weekly mobile clinic which attends each community is not sufficient to treat all of the patients in need, or to respond to emergencies. Women have been known to lose their babies, on route to the Lolgorian Hospital. The region is also sadly experiencing a rise in HIV/AIDs rates, and access to the appropriate prevention education, testing, counselling and treatment is critical. Other common health concerns include water-borne diseases such as typhoid, pneumonia and seasonal respiratory illnesses, snake bites and injuries caused by wildlife attack (note the conservation area is not fenced).
The community allocated 10 acres of land, next to Emurutoto Primary School, for the purpose of a clinic and construction began in December 2017.
The District Governor has provided assurance of the commitment of the government to provide a Doctor, medical equipment and ongoing supplies, if the community can complete the construction of the clinic, and Doctors house.
The completed clinic and accommodation was officially handed over in May 2019. It was a huge celebration with the majority of the community in attendance. The new clinic Doctor was formally appointed and clinic was open the very next day.
It has only been two months since Emurutoto Health Centre and accommodation for medical staff, was opened but already its impact is being felt.
The clinic has received over 300 patients, an almost equal mix of male and female. The most common complaints that patients have presented with have been:
- Upper respiratory tract infection
- Pneumonia
- Skin infections
- Diarrhea causing illnesses
- Malaria
- Eye infections
- Injuries.
Many women are also attending for ante-natal care.
More recently the Government provided the necessary ‘cold chain equipment’ for the safe storage of vaccinations and 15 children have been vaccinated so far.
You might also be interested in...
Wild Impact is a Public Benefit Organisation registered in South Africa. Reg. No.: 930002115