One MAF flight: Almost 1000 patients treated by specialists

Story by Annet Nabbanja

Forty-six-year-old Elias Laiza is a livestock keeper and herder from Malambo in northern Tanzania. He normally keeps busy to support his family, but began to feel pain on the right side of his kidney.

“I was very sick,” Elias said. “I was thinking about going to Arusha but in Malambo there is a problem with transport – vehicles are not available every day and the road to Arusha is in poor condition.”

The illness weighed heavily on him, not just physically, but also in terms of responsibility. 

“I was also worried about how my family would cope because they depend on me for their daily needs.”

Elias was one of a staggering 920 patients who received treatment during the mobile clinic set up by Pamoja Specialised Polyclinic and local NGO Help for the Maasai. MAF flew nine medical professionals Arusha to Malambo, turning an 8-hour drive into a 35-minute flight.

Elias said that when the doctors came to provide free services, he felt good because he did not have the money to go to Arusha. 

“After the doctors arrived and gave me medicine, I felt better,” he said. “I feel well now. I was received well by the doctors, and I was also given advice.”

Among the medical professionals was Dr Dahee Park, an ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat) specialist from South Korea, and Director at Pamoja Specialised Polyclinic.

“Our mission is not only to treat diseases but also to bring comfort, hope, and dignity to every person God sends to us,” Dahee said.

This outreach was carried out as part of their mission to serve the Maasai community through medical care.

“Through this work, we aimed to respond to their needs and demonstrate care and compassion in practical ways,” the doctor said.

Over the two days of the clinic, the team treated a huge number of patients, the majority of whom were suffering from ophthalmologic conditions, while dental and other medical needs were also addressed. 

“Environmental factors such as dust, strong winds, sunlight, and insects contribute to eye disease, and limited access to healthcare and clean water often worsens conditions,” he said.

Dahee noted that during the outreach in Malambo, the team were deeply moved by the reality of life in a remote community where access to basic medical care and resources is extremely limited.

“Many people live with untreated medical conditions for long periods of time, not because of neglect, but because medical services are simply not available or accessible.”

Simple interventions such as basic health education, eye protection, and early treatment could greatly improve their quality of life.

Dahee saw what was accomplished and praised their effective partnerships: partnering with MAF in enabling them to reach places that would be nearly impossible to otherwise access, and with Help for the Maasai in ensuring community organisation and connection.

“Each group plays a vital role, like different parts of the body of Christ working together for His glory,” he said.

Sara Frykowski, the Director of Help for the Maasai, talked about the importance of local partnerships. 

“Our aim is to give the community equal access to spiritual, social and economic wellbeing. Since Malambo is remote with a lack of infrastructure.  We are so thankful for the collaboration with MAF and with the Pamoja Specialised Polyclinic to help us reach that vision.”

MAF’s Becki Dillingham was very excited to pilot the flight to Malambo that enabled Pamoja to run a clinic with so many specialists. The MAF team’s monthly maternal child health clinic flights provide an essential service for mothers and babies – but this clinic brought so much more to the community. 

“The team were able to do health screening on school children which normally wouldn’t happen, allowing for early intervention for children with eyesight problems,” Becki said. 

“The sheer number of people who turned up from across the region shows how much need there is in the community.”