Delmonte Kenya's annual medical camp: A lifeline for health services and community development in Murang'a County and beyond

The annual Delmonte Kenya Limited (DKL) medical camps continue to have a transformative impact on the local community, within Murang’a County and beyond, through the provision of essential healthcare services, promoting disease prevention, and improving overall health awareness. The initiative has helped alleviate financial constraints on families, improved health equity, and fostered trust between the company and the community. Ultimately, the camps contribute to building a healthier and more productive society while reinforcing Delmonte’s role as a socially responsible business entity.

Yearly the fruit processor facilitates medical camps in areas surrounding it where hundreds of residents attend for treatment and consultation services offered by specialised medical teams.

This year, over 1,350 residents converged at College Primary School in Makuyu, last week, to benefit from the free medical camp where more than 100 health workers attended to them. 

The event provided vital health services to the community, including screenings for breast, prostate, and cervical cancers, along with various preventive and curative treatments. Among the key objectives of the medical camp that targets over 1,000 residents was to promote good practices and positive health-seeking behaviors through education sessions on good nutrition, mother and child health, and hygiene and sanitation to generate awareness and encourage their adoption, especially among women and adolescents.

Indeed, it was a relief to Mary Kamau after her father was treated and given drugs after he could not be attended to at Murang’a Level Five on Thursday after his NHIF card could not be used owing to the challenges associated with the ongoing transition to SHIF.

“The medical camp is a relief to hundreds of the people as we came from Maragua Town to seek treatment. He has been advised to consult a neurosurgeon for further observation and treatment,” said Ms Kamau.

Solomon Maina was full of praise after he was given reading glasses to address her optical challenges.

“Lack of resources had hindered my family from taking her to an ophthalmologist for treatment. But, today, I am happy that she was attended to and given glasses,” said Maina, a resident of Muhohoyo Village.

The free medical camp helped to mobilise tens of people who had failed to access treatment in the public and private facilities owing to the teething problems brought by the ongoing transition of NHIF to Social Health Insurance Authority (SHIA).

Tens of people came from as far as Makutano in Kirinyaga County, Thika Town and Kandara constituencies to benefit from the treatment.

DKL Managing Director Mr. Wyne Cook said they have been working and collaborating with the local communities through various initiatives with hundreds of the workers in the pineapple plantation coming from the neighbouring villages.

 Mr Cook asked the residents to take advantage of the medical camps because they were managed by highly qualified medical teams in different fields such as it brings closer to them specialists in different fields such as cancer among others.

“DKL sponsored medical camp has been concentrating on cancer screening with those detected to have cancer cells referred for further treatment and consultations,” said Cook who urged the community to closely collaborate with the company.

On land that DKL ceded to Murang’a County Government measuring 1,400 acres,  he said they are grateful that Governor Irungu Kang’ata allocated a portion for the construction of the proposed Kenneth Matiba Hospital. He added that part of the land will also support other emerging economic activities. “Constructions are going on designed to establish EPZ zones that will be of much assistance to the local community in terms of providing various employment opportunities,” said Cook.

Deputy Nursing Officer in Murang’a County, Ms Lucy Mburu said the County government was working closely with DKL in the improvement of health services.

“We need more partnerships with local investors led by Delmonte to serve the community effectively,” said Ms Mburu who represented the County’s Director of Health Services Dr James Mburu.

Alfred Wanyoike, Kiambu National Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chairman lauded the gesture by DKL calling on businesspersons in Murang’a and Kiambu counties to emulate DKL and support similar ventures within their regions.

“Since Delmonte operates in two counties there is a need for the traders and companies to come together, and facilitate programmes for the community,” said Mr Wanyoike.

Head of health care services in DKL, Isaac Mbugua said the medical camp had different specialists who included: diabetes and hypertension, ENT, Paediatrician, General Physician, Nutrition, Dentist, Ophthalmology, Cancer, Counselling Centre for Gender Based Violence (GBV). 

Salim Mwangi, a youth, said the partnership between DKL and the community has reduced the perennial conflict and tension associated with pineapple theft.

Mwangi, a father of three, said 10 years ago, pineapple theft was the order of the day, as the plantations turned to battlefields.

“Anti-social behavior is now a thing of the past with the youth instead seeking employment from the company,” said Mwangi, a resident of Nguthuru who attended the medical camp.

“We appreciate Del Monte for bringing these critical health services to the people of this area. The screening services and treatments will benefit our people especially women and children who are the most disadvantaged and are not able to easily access them due to poverty and inadequate health facilities serving this area,” emphasized Makuyu area chief Issac Mwoce.

Cook explained that “Delmonte recognizes the centrality of communities to its operations which is also underpinned within our corporate social responsibility (CSR) policy. This free medical camp is part of our continuous CSR strategy that is in line with our core values as a company that cares for its communities.”

Delmonte has sponsored similar medical camps in the Thika and Murang’a areas over the last few years such as Ndula, Kandara, Matunda, Makenji, Swani, and Ng’araria reaching over 3,000 people.

Other partners who have been supporting the Del Monte Kenya Limited initiative include JKUAT, Ganesh, Ministry of Health Muranga, NHIF, Minet Insurance, Shalina Health Care, Central Memorial Hospital, Furaha Chemist, Cascade, Metro Trans, among others.

Written By Boniface Gikandi

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