Meet the 29-year-old Soopi Nkuuwam Thomas, a dedicated and passionate Nurse based in Kamuge Dispensary, Suguta Sub-County who is going above and beyond the call of duty to provide door-to-door healthcare services to the underserved populations of Kamuge in Suguta sub county.
Suguta is one of the most volatile regions in the North Rift posing challenges of insecurity. This does not however deter Soopi from hoping onto his county-provided motor bike to deliver healthcare services right at the doorsteps of his patients.
Health seeking behavior has been one of the challenges, the County Government through the Department of Health has been addressing through various social and behavioral change models.
Together with 13 Community Health Promoters (CHPs) and two Community Health Assistants (CHAs), Soopi has designed a system where the community prompts him via a phone call whenever they need medical attention, increasing health seeking behavior.
Some of the most common medical cases in Kamuge include maternal deliveries, snake bites (mostly Puffadders), scorpion bites, Malaria, Diarrhea and Pneumonia for children under five, and Upper Respiratory Tract Infection (URTI).
Located 75 Kms away from Lokori which is 160KMs from Lodwar, the closest referral locations, Soopi always has his backpack ready with medical and non-pharm supplies for a call may come in at any time. He serves the five remote villages of Kamuge including Kakitetei, Ng’ilukia, Ekeng’ot Achemchem, and Nakuprat. Of the five, Ng’ilukia is the most populated with a population of about 5,000 people.
Kamuge also has one of the most challenging landscapes as well making it a challenge for most residents to actively seek healthcare services, hence the door-to-door services.
From rocky paths, hills, valleys, and two seasonal rivers- Suguta Valley River and Ng’akipi Nareng’ak that swell during rainy seasons. Soopi accompanied with a security detail from Kamuge Dispensary, rides his bike or swims across them to reach the underserved communities.
“During the rainy seasons, we have to leave the bike behind. I tuck my bag nicely in a bin bag and together with whoever is accompanying me, swim across the river, and continue on foot to get to the people,” he shared.
Successful deliveries make his day, and he has so far delivered over 300 babies since 2020, and 10 have been named who have been named after him- all girls. A form of appreciation by the community for the expert and selfless service.
Together with the CHPs and CHAs, they have delivered over 700 babies since 2020, with about 10-12 babies delivered every month. This is according to the facilities’ records.
Some of his most memorable experiences include maternal deliveries of twins born to a first-time mum, snake bite wound on a five-year-old boy, gun-shot wound patient on both legs of a male patient, who was transported to the nearest facility in an armored police vehicle, this was followed by a delivery of a 2.9KGs boy to a 18-year-old first time mum in her house.
He also shares the day he walked nine kilometers due to terrain, to deliver two babies, one 2.8KGs boy to a first-time mum at 19 years and the second by a 26-year-old mum, the birth of a girl weighing 3KGs.
According to Soopi, in cases of snake bites he may need to camp with the patient for 2-3 days for observation, as snake bites may be fatal if they stay untreated for 12-15 hours. He also ensures that all mums go to the medical facilities for post-natal care for both their safety and their babies’.
He showered his colleagues- the CHPs with praises for successfully and consistently tracking expectant mothers in all the five villages and reporting back every six weeks. He also stated that the CHPs go door-to-door to identify patients in need of medical attention and provide the information for ease of access. The visits have since contributed to improved health seeking behaviour, mostly through demand creation, he observes.
Born and raised in Samburu County, in 2017, he graduated from the Kenya Medical Training College in Lodwar. He later volunteered at a private health facility at Lokori six months gaining valuable experience. He moved on to join outreaches between June 2017 and November 2018. This was followed by another six months as a volunteer on stipend in Kamuge Dispensary in December 2018.
He was among the over 8,000 UHC registered Nurses to be hired in 2020 and has continued to serve the people of Kamuge to-date. He is especially particular about ensuring safe delivery and healthy babies.
“I feel like I was called to serve the people of Kamuge Community. While I know I may leave in the future, we have created a lasting bond,” He continued to say, “I am looking forward to continuing working with my fellow colleagues to ensure we continue having healthy babies and improved nutrition,” he shared with a cheerful smile.
Like many other health workers in Turkana, Soopi has benefited from about 20 of the County Government and partner-funded trainings including Basic Maternal Antenatal Care (BMAC) and Integrated Management of Newborn and Childhood Illnesses (IMNCI). These trainings have not only boosted his skills but given him the confidence required to perform his duties and serve the people best.
Calling on the County Government to provide more staffing support to Kamuge given the workload, Soopi highlighted that the continued collaboration between the County Government and development partners to provide outreaches, has greatly helped in curbing cases in the hard-to-reach and underserved locations. He gave an example of a 5-year-old boy who he met at an outreach where he was receiving immunization for the first time.
