The Zakat Foundation of America

Jan 19, 2012

Dr. Wangusi taking blood pressure of a patient.

Zakat Foundation of America (ZF) believes that healthcare is a human right. In order to provide healthcare not only do we open mobile health clinics around the world, but we mobilize local volunteer-doctors and health professionals to give back to their communities. In December, ZF funded three Mobile Health Clinics in Kenya, in the cities of Matete, Matungu and Mount Elgon.

The three cities were chosen because of the desperate need for help in those areas. Residents of the cities are mostly peasant farmers and impoverished people, and a number of them are refugees. Since travel is done by foot, some residents have to walk miles in the heat in search of medical care. Some, like pregnant mothers, children and the elderly, are unable to cover the distances and either forgo medical care or are transported by their sick relatives on donkeys and cows amidst the rainy weather and rugged terrain. Many of them, after reaching the medical centers, are unable to afford the services and drugs.

To make matters worse, there was a nation-wide doctors’ strike during the month of December. The strike affected mostly the poor who access health services in government hospitals. The financially stable were able to secure medical care in private hospitals while the poor weren’t as lucky.

Women and children had the worst experiences and it’s reported that pregnant mothers gave birth en route to medical care because finding a hospital that would deliver the baby took too much time. Several deaths were also reported as a result of the strike.

ZF stepped in to provide free medical services through the Mobile Health Clinics in rural areas.

Each Mobile Health Clinic provided the following services:

1. Disease examination / diagnosis & patient referrals
2. Mobile pharmacy delivery of medicine
3. Family medicine and planning, maternity ward & immunization of children
4. HIV testing and counseling
5. Malaria treatment
6. Nutrition therapy

Everyone who came to the mobile clinics for medical care received service and were extremely grateful to ZF and its donors for the work being done there. Many happy community leaders and government officials were excited that medical care was brought to their communities for the very first time. The community leaders said they pray that ZF makes regular visits to their communities.