Rotary District 9212, RFHA Sign MoU to Roll Out Medical Camps
By Eric Ombok
Rotay District 9212 and Rotary Action Group for Family Health & AIDS Prevention Inc (RFHA) have signed a 24-month agreement that will enable Rotary clubs to roll out medical camps at seven different locations across Kenya.
About 30 clubs, organized into seven clusters, will organize the medical camps known as Rotary Family Health Days in January. The clubs are backed up by a 10-member Steering Committee chaired by Patrick Muchemi from the Rotary Club of Nairobi Muthaiga and Betty Moraa from the Rotary Club of Enkare Narok serving as Secretary.
Past District Governor Eric Kimani is RFHA Africa Director of Operations, while Past President Risper Marangu is the Administrator for Africa Operations.
Cluster one is led by the Rotary Club of Nairobi Muthaiga North. Clubs in the cluster are Nairobi Embakasi, Ongata Rongai, Ongata Rongai East, Nairobi East, Ngong Road, Kilimani Alfajiri, Karengeta, Rotaracts Clubs of Nairobi Muthaiga North, Gigiri and Sololo.
The cluster will have a three-day medical camp at Pumwani Maternity Hospital starting January 11. Rotary International President Stephanie Urchick, who will be in Kenya from January 12-15 is expected to visit the hospital and the medical camp.
The host club for cluster two is the Rotary Club of Thika. Clubs in the cluster include the Rotary Clubs of Thika West and Ruiru, Rotaract clubs of Mount Kenya University, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, TTI, JFK. The medical camp will be held at Makongeni Health Centre in Thika.
Cluster three is led by the Rotary Club of Siaya. The Rotary Clubs of Sagam, Kisumu Winam, Maseno and Rotaract Club of Rarieda are part of the cluster that will have a medical camp at Kogelo Health Centre in Siaya County.
The Rotary Club of Kikuyu is leading cluster four, which includes the Rotary Clubs of Kabete Springs, Kabete, Limuru, Kiambu and Rotaract Club of Kikuyu. Their medical camp will be at Gichuru Dispensary in Kiambu.
Led by Rotary Club of Kericho, cluster five includes the Rotary Clubs of Enkare Narok, Nairobi Lavington, Nairobi Langata, Rotaract Clubs of Kericho and Menengai. Transmara West Subcounty Hospital in Narok will host the medical camp.
The Rotary Club of Embu is the host for cluster six, which includes the Rotary Clubs of Kitui, Mwea, Kirinyaga and Rotaract Club of KMTC EMBU-In Formation. Embu Level V Hospital will host the camp.
Cluster seven is led by Rotary Club of Juja. It includes the Rotary Clubs of Ruiru, Kitui, Utawala and Rotaract Club of Youth Connect Kenya. The medical camp will be held at Mukurweini Hospital in Nyeri County.
“This initiative embodies the Rotary spirit—turning compassion into action, service into smiles, and challenges into opportunities,” Steering Committee Secretary Betty Moraa said. “Together, Rotarians are reminded of the magic of Rotary in unity and service: changing lives, one community at a time.”
RFHA is a Rotary Action Group which is aimed at among other things, strengthening the infrastructure of healthcare delivery systems worldwide, primarily by mobilizing a network of Rotary Districts and Clubs through a public-private partnership programme.
The Action Group intends to develop its Rotary Family Health Days (RFHD) programme to strengthen partnerships through the creation of relationships with Strategic Alliance Countries. In this regard, RFHA shall establish alliance relationships with various in-country Rotary districts and clubs worldwide.
RFHA then provides vital healthcare services to the communities in which the Rotary Districts and clubs operate; mobilise screening, testing and referral of critical healthcare services to the identified communities; support and operate Rotary Family Health Days together with the Rotary districts and clubs.
The Rotary Family Health Days are a signature programme of RFHA, promoting healthy living and disease control by implementing large-scale, annual campaigns in identified areas that provide comprehensive, free health care services to people in underprivileged communities;
The camps provide medical services for both communicable and non-communicable diseases such as immunizations for children, polio and measles vaccines, along with comprehensive annual screenings, testing and referrals for HIV, TB, malaria, diabetes and hypertension, among others. Core services are identified in consultation with the in-country Ministry of Health and are coordinated through a variety of governmental and non-governmental organizations.
Under the MoU, RFHA will help in mobilize funding, with Rotary District 9212 supplementing the funds through District grants to the participating clubs. The Rotary Family Health Days in January are projected to cost more than 30.5 million shillings.
Unused medical supplies will be donated to the host medical facilities and ultimately the Rotary Family Health Days are planned to be an annual event, like the Rotary Sunshine Rally.
