More than 2, 000 residents of Kandara Sub- County in Murang’a have benefited from a free medical camp, organized by fruit processing company, Delmonte Limited. In its annual Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activity, the Firm facilitated the camp at Mukerenju Primary School, where local residents were screened for various types of cancers among other non-communicable diseases. Residents with common ailments were treated during the exercise attended by Delmonte’s Acting Managing Director, Wayne Cook and the Murang’a Director of Health and Sanitation, Dr. James Mburu. The free medical camp came at a time when there has been tussling between the County Government of Murang’a and members of Kandara Residents Association, over a portion land ceded by Delmonte company to the government. Last week, clashes were witnessed between police and youths from Kandara who invaded a 1,400-acre piece of land, which the Company has allocated to the Murang’a County Government, to establish various development projects including construction of a level-5 hospital. The residents have been accusing the County Government of ignoring a court order, barring any development of the said land, till a case before the court is heard and determined. Steering away from the land controversies, Wayne promised that his Company will continue to implement various projects in its Corporate Social Responsibility drive, aimed to benefit communities neighbouring the fruit processing company. ‘Delmonte Company will continue to collaborate with Murang’a County Government in many aspects of development and facilitate similar medical camps, which are beneficial to the community,’ he said. The Company, he noted, believes in the value of care, saying they were committed in participating in as many activities as possible within the community, with a view to fulfilling their core mandate of community service. ‘We can now join forces and work in partnership to bring change to the community, by working closely with all stakeholders, industries, medical professions and patients, who should always have a seat at the table to make their own decisions on their health.’ explained Wayne. The Managing Director observed that during their medical camps, medics engaged by the company have concentrated in facilitating cancer screening, considering that the disease is the second leading cause of mortality in the area after cardiovascular diseases. ‘During this month, which is set for creating awareness on breast cancer, the disease is being screened for free during the medical camps we have been organizing,’ he added. On his part, Dr. Mburu lauded the partnership with Delmonte, saying this has so far yielded fruits in various social and economic sectors. The County Government, Mburu noted, is working to improve on primary health care by engaging community health promoters, who will be traversing in rural areas and screening non-communicable diseases among residents. ‘We are enlisting the services of community health promoters, in order to effectively reach populations in the rural areas, where there is scarcity of medical services. This initiative will assist in early detection and management of non-communicable diseases among people in rural areas,’ added the Director. Mburu noted the partnership with Delmonte Company will help Murang’a government build a second level five hospital, a programme designed by Governor Irungu Kang’ata to support preventive health.
Source: Kenya News Agency