1 April 2018, MAPUTO, Mozambique– First Lady Margaret Kenyatta has rooted for the establishment of non-profit medical facilities to boost access to specialized treatment for Kenyans suffering from heart diseases, especially those from disadvantaged families.
Speaking after visiting the Maputo Heart Institute, a non-profit facility where 90 percent of the operations are done free of charge for the poor and disadvantage communities, the First Lady expressed the need for similar institutions in Kenya to complement the services offered by public and private hospitals.
The Maputo Heart Institute, established in 2001 with support from four European Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs), trains Mozambicans locally to reduce dependency on foreign doctors. It also conducts research to establish prevalence of cardiovascular ailments in poor communities.
President Uhuru Kenyatta and the First Lady are in Mozambique on a State Visit that started on Thursday.
The First Lady’s visit to the Maputo Heart Institute was geared towards exploring ways of replicating similar initiatives in Kenya for the benefit of Kenyans.
She has been at the forefront in the promotion of access to affordable healthcare, one of the key pillars of President Kenyatta’s Big Four agenda.
In early March this year, the First Lady launched a second strategic plan for her Beyond Zero campaign aimed at securing gains made in the past four years and expanding her initiatives to cover cancer and fistula.
Besides strengthening the maternal healthcare and HIV/Aids awareness, which were the main focus in the first phase of her Beyond Zero initiative that saw each of the 47 counties receive at least one mobile clinic, the new plan includes addressing a broader spectrum of health challenges.
-PSCU