Surgeons from Spain have been carrying out surgical campaigns for the last 20 years in Turkana. This programme originally materialised following the invitation of members of the Missionary Community of St. Paul the Apostles (MCSPA). The surgical campaigns are done more specifically at Lodwar County Referral Hospital and at Kakuma Mission Hospital which is run by the Catholic Diocese of Lodwar.
Last week, as is the annual routine, a team of 40 surgeons came to spend the weekend at the Nariokotome Mission, the motherhouse of the MCSPA prior to a continuing surgical camp.
Scholastica Wamalwa, a member of the MCSPA, welcomed all as she introduced the other missionaries living and working at the above-mentioned mission. Dr. Carmen Hernandez warmly thanked everyone for the effort they had put in to ensure that people with medical and surgical cases in Turkana could be attended to. Thus far, 20 campaigns have been done in which more than 9,500 medical consultations, 4,900 surgeries and several mobile clinics have been carried out. The impact on the local community has indeed been tremendous.
The following day after a colorful Eucharistic celebration, presided by Fr. Zacchaeus Okoth, they attended to 53 patients at Nariokotome Dispensary. The patients were from the different villages around the area. The mobilization team did an excellent job in ensuring that many people with different medical issues received information on the surgeons’ visit at the dispensary; the turnout was very good!
Memories of experiences and of a friendship and cooperation that stretched over a long period of time were shared over the weekend.
The MCSPA would very much like to commend the efforts of the “Cirugía Turkana” programme that was initiated by Dr. Elena Mendia and others, now lead by Dr. Carmen Hernandez Perez, whose husband, Joaquín Vazquez, together with many others have placed great effort in concretely changing lives for the better in Turkana.
It is always an honour for the missionaries to host these surgeons!
By Lydia Imbala, MCSPA member, Nariokotome Mission.
