Hundreds of residents from Archers’ Post and Larisoro villages in Samburu East constituency have benefitted from a free medical camp conducted by medics from the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) and the United States of America Military.

According to the KDF Operations Officer for the exercise dubbed “Operation Justified Accord 23” Major Stanley Norman Wanyama, the medical camp is part of activities aimed at giving thanks to the local community in Samburu County for their cooperation and allowing the military officers to conduct their various training drills in the area.

He said that the military medics managed to attend to at least 300 patients last Saturday at the Archers’ Post Level 3 hospital before the camp moved to Larisoro Village Sunday.

Most of the health concerns attended to during the camp included maternal and child health issues, common diseases such as malaria and cases of malnutrition especially among children.

Lieutenant Colonel Rhonda Dyer, a US Military Nurse said that the soldiers from the United States of America were proud to be part of the initiative and look forward to impacting more lives in terms of healthcare provision, working together with their hosts from the Kenya Defence Forces.

Residents of Archers’ Post lauded the move by the Soldiers to lend a helping hand in terms of free healthcare services.

Caroline Lempere, a resident said that a number of people in the area are unable to afford health care services, and are therefore lucky to have such an opportunity to be assessed by doctors and given free medication.

She appealed to the County Government of Samburu to move with speed and address the various challenges hindering proper service delivery at the Archers’ Post Level three hospital, especially the lack of drugs.

Lempere noted that patients were being asked to buy drugs elsewhere in private facilities, which ends up being even more expensive in the long run.