Hundreds of residents of Mogobich in Ollesos Ward, Nandi County, have benefited from free healthcare services offered through the Nandi County Beyond Zero mobile clinic.

The residents turned up in large numbers on Tuesday to access a range of services provided by a team of health professionals during the medical outreach, which brought healthcare services closer to the community and enabled residents to seek medical attention without travelling long distances to health facilities.

The exercise offered treatment for various ailments, general medical consultations, screening services, and health education, with residents also receiving advice on disease prevention, healthy lifestyles, and the importance of seeking medical attention early.

County Director for Health (CDH) Dr. Christine Jebet said the outreach was part of the county government’s efforts to improve access to primary healthcare by taking services closer to the people, particularly communities that face challenges accessing health facilities because of distance and other factors.

Dr. Jebet said mobile medical outreaches were important in strengthening preventive and primary healthcare because they enabled health workers to interact directly with residents, identify health concerns, and provide appropriate interventions before illnesses became more serious.

She urged residents to take advantage of such programmes and seek medical attention whenever they experienced symptoms instead of waiting until their conditions deteriorated.

Dr. Jebet said the county was also using the outreach programmes to create awareness on preventive healthcare, healthy lifestyles, and the importance of regular screening.

She explained that residents requiring specialized or continued treatment were referred to appropriate health facilities for further management, noting that mobile clinics complement existing health facilities by extending services to communities.

Beyond Zero programme Coordinator Nancy Rop said the large turnout at Mogobich demonstrated the importance of bringing healthcare services closer to the people.

Rop said residents in remote areas sometimes faced difficulties accessing healthcare because of distance, transport costs, and other challenges, making mobile clinics an important avenue for reaching such populations.

She encouraged residents to make use of screening services and health education provided during the outreach, noting that early detection of health conditions could enable patients to receive timely treatment and avoid complications.

The coordinator said the programme was also intended to strengthen the link between communities and the formal healthcare system by identifying residents who required further medical attention and directing them to appropriate health facilities.

The outreach provided health workers with an opportunity to educate residents on disease prevention, treatment adherence, and the importance of maintaining healthy lifestyles.

Residents welcomed the initiative, saying the mobile clinic had saved them the cost and inconvenience of travelling to distant health facilities for basic medical services and consultations.

The outreach is part of efforts by the county health department and its partners to increase access to primary healthcare at the community level.

The CDH encouraged residents to continue seeking medical care from nearby health facilities, undergo regular screening, and participate in community health programmes.

She said prevention, early detection, and timely treatment remained critical in reducing the burden of disease and improving the well-being of residents across Nandi County.

By Sammy Mwibanda