This archive report was first published on 1 October 2019.
Kenya's Lamu County, a region plagued by poverty and underdevelopment, has been ravaged by the war with Somali extremist group Al-Shabaab. The conflict has left many communities without access to basic healthcare, forcing residents to rely on a mobile medical team, Safari Doctors, for medical attention.
Founded by 36-year-old Umra Omar four years ago, Safari Doctors sends a team of volunteer doctors and nurses to remote coastal villages every month. The team, which includes both Kenyan and foreign medics, visits up to 12 villages, some of which require a last-minute phone call to check on security.
Thanks to donations and fundraising, the Safari Doctors mobile medical team treats up to 800 patients a month. The team's efforts are crucial, as many residents have no other option for medical care. In fact, four villages in the region are considered no-go zones and have no healthcare access at all, according to Omar.
Inside the makeshift clinic, the team sets up a triage area where patients are weighed and have their blood pressure taken, before being directed to one of several desks manned by medical personnel. The team's work is not limited to treating patients; they also provide training to traditional birth attendants and give youth in the communities basic first aid training.
Locals say their plight has only grown worse since the army sent troops into the area in 2015 to flush Al-Shabaab militants out of the forest. The operation, which was meant to be a three-month operation, has yet to come to an end. The Al-Qaeda linked Al-Shabaab has staged several bloody attacks in Kenya, including in Lamu, in response to Nairobi sending troops into Somalia in 2011.
As a result, many residents have been forced to abandon their traditional way of life, including harvesting honey and hunting. The clinic is not only the sole option for villagers, but also for the soldiers fighting Al-Shabaab, whose operation has been plagued by poor co-operation, lack of equipment and demoralisation, observers say.
