Narok Hospital exemplifies our approach in Africa
Narok District Hospital & Zonal Satellites
Outreach Naikara Health Centre Southwest of Nairobi in the Great Rift Valley is the district of Narok, Kenya, with a population of more than 522,000. Narok is home to the Maasai people – nomadic pastoralists who have lived in the area for generations. However, the fast growing population and high poverty levels have had a negative effect on the region. Fifty-two percent of the population lives below the poverty line.
In addition, health conditions that could have otherwise been avoided, such as blinding diseases, are challenging. Medical professionals are in short supply – for much of sub-Saharan Africa, there is only one ophthalmologist for every million people. Furthermore, Narok is a vast district forcing patients to walk for days in order to reach a clinic.
Since 2005 Operation Eyesight has been providing support to Narok District Hospital which serves as a secondary health care facility in the region. The hospital’s eye unit regularly goes on outreach programs to the surrounding communities, and satellite clinics have been established, reaching areas where no eye care or treatment was available before. Primary eye care facilities at the community level, if managed and operated properly, can deal with 70-80 per cent of current eye care needs.
Community engagement is also an important aspect of the hospital’s work, and eye care is being enhanced through partnerships with community-based organizations, government and non-governmental organizations.
Operation Eyesight has agreed to contribute towards infrastructure, community eye care, human resource development and awareness creation in the Narok North District. With comprehensive outreach programs and satellite eye clinics in place, we will expand this work to include a strategy and model for long-term eye-health sustainability for this region.