Holistic Health Ministry

by Dolores Wavinya - Social Communication Department

The integral human development extends its services to the homes in the community through the staff of the health ministry. They visit the sick and the elderly. A group known as the Good Samaritans helps them in identifying the sick in the community. Most of the people they encounter are poor and alone. The very common diseases are hypertension, diabetes, paralysis, HIV/Aids, TB and malnourished children. From Tuesday to Saturday the staff members make visits from 2.00pm. On Sundays they are joined by other groups. There are also the seminarians and nuns who come to worship and do pastoral care. Sr. Veronica, a nurse in the parish says that they offer drugs, nutritional food and counseling.

They network with other institutions for extreme cases that they cannot manage. Institutions such as AMREF, MSF, government hospitals and other private hospitals. Those elderly people who have no one to take care they contact institutional homes to take them.

The social worker, commented, “It is not a must to give them something, what matters is being there for those suffering. When we visit them it is easy to tell from their looks that they feel wanted and important. The needy are in the houses, not those who come in the parish. It is upon us to go and look for them”.

A volunteer with the team, Peris Pasiani, who helps in keeping records in the dispensary, says that the dispensary has enlightened her on diseases and can now help in her neighborhood somebody who is sick. She is proud to share this experience with the members of her family since she can give a service in the community that is fulfilling.

Sr. Rose, a camillian nun says, “the very sick and poor expect a lot from us but we have little to offer. They are in need of money to attend to a doctor and drugs are expensive. We only do what we can. We give what the Christians offer. The TB cases are referred to AMREF and MSF which is a free hospital. There are unfortunate cases whereby we find someone had given up and stopped taking medicine. Some end up dying while others persevere in medication and improve. We are few and the numbers are more. These people though they are poor many of them are their families’ bread winners. They also give us encouragement after seeing their struggles”.