Turkish, Kenyan doctors team up at Kakuma refugee camps

Thousands of people living in Kenya’s poorest county received free medical treatment on Monday.

Around 21 doctors and nine medical school graduates from Turkey teamed up with 13 local doctors to offer services such as paediatric surgery, gynaecological treatment and dental care to the local community in Turkana as well as refugees at the Kakuma refugee camp.

The refugees are from all over sub-Saharan Africa, including Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Many walked for long distances in the 45 degree Celsius heat to wait for the life-saving surgeries being conducted at Kakuma Mission Hospital at the camps. 

Doctors said some of the sophisticated surgeries normally cost between $15,000 and $20,000. 

TRT World's Omer Kablan reports from Kenya.

Life-saving services

The hospitals where the surgeries took place were spread out across the county and included Kakuma Mission Hospital at the Kakuma 1, 2 and 3 camps as well as the Kenya-based NGO International Rescue Committee’s site.

During the seven-day surgical camp organised by the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) and Turkish non-governmental organisations, patients were also being tested for eye infections.

Dr Ahmet Cevik from Yeryuzu Doktorlari said they had already performed more than 60 life-saving surgeries Monday at Kakuma Mission Hospital alone.

"Most of these people were in a very bad state, and I am happy as a doctor to offer my services free of charge to these people, who really need this help being from the poorest county in Kenya with poor health services," he said. 

"We have changed lives here," Cevik said.

Ole Njakop, a local living in Kakuma, said he phoned a friend from the neighbouring county of Marsabit to come to receive treatment for a swollen leg due to a snake bite.

"It happened a day ago. They sucked the poison out, but the leg was swollen. He has arrived here and has been booked. I am grateful," he said.

There are approximately one million people living in Turkana – around 186,000 refugees and 800,000 locals. 

But there are only two hospitals. TIKA says that in Turkana, people do not have access to affordable health care.