MEAK EYE AND HEART MISSION

In June, Heritage Hotels, through Mara Intrepids Camp in Masai Mara, invited the MEAK team to Masai Mara. MEAK, the acronym for Medical and Educational Aid to Kenya, was on an eye-operating mission in the Mara. Previously Heritage Hotels has worked with MEAK in Samburu (Intrepids Camp in 2005) and Siana Springs at Sekenani (2007). MEAK is a UK based operation.

The Masai are often afflicted by what are containable eye infections, but which can lead to blindness if untreated.

The medical team consisted of doctors from Kwale District Eye Centre near Mombasa, MEAK and Lions SightFirst Eye Hospital. Pre-screening was organized at various centres and manyattas (homesteads), some over 40 kilometres apart. Heritage Hotels provided food, accommodation and transport for the patients and the manager’s house as a temporary clinic.

293 patients were investigated with 111 operated for cataracts and 25 for tarsal plate rotations. Many more were treated for conjunctival infections and allergies, with more than 300 bottles of eye drops and 11 pairs of reading glasses prescribed. Two children with serious cataracts had operations. The highlight was 9-year-old Singei Kerekor who born blind, can now see.
 

At the same time, a heart mission was underway in Mombasa led by the MEAK and volunteer doctors from Guy and St. Thomas Hospital in London. They operated sixteen needy children aged between 2 months and 13 years at the Mombasa Hospital. Voyager Beach Resort provided accommodation for the doctors.
 
This was a collaborative effort between Jetlink, The Mombasa Hospital, The Mamujee Trust, Paediatric Support Group, Pollmans, MEAK and Heritage Hotels.

The Heritage Group camps and lodges are located in stunning, remote locations, far from urban centers.  Most of our staff is employed from the local community and it is our responsibility to ensure that they and their families receive the best medical care.  

Wherever the Heritage Group has a presence, we have our own clinics on site where we provide free treatment to both staff and the local communities besides supporting the community medical clinics.  In addition, at Siana Springs Tented Camp in Maasai Mara National Reserve, the Heritage Group with a former guest, the philanthropic Italian dentist, Dr Damazo, has built a modern dental facility, again, providing free dental health services to the local communities. In extreme cases, where the medical cases are too complicated for us, we transport very sick patients without charge to the nearest hospitals.

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