As we prepare for an outreach we mobilize the communities to come and learn about their health. We however have no indication regarding who will come to the outreach. In Masinde for instance we were surprised to see a group of prisoners come to seek dental assistance led by their warden. When asked how they got to know about the outreach the warden said he had heard on the radio that all services were free including the dental clinic which is hardly offered in prison. He rounded up those who had emergency tooth issues and walked 6 miles to the outreach. On arrival at the health camp the prisoners were taken to the dental clinic where most of them had more than one tooth extracted. They were all glad that to receive a service for whom some had waited for over a year. They also appreciated the spiritual counselling and prayers received from the Hinds Feet Project pastoral team. We thanked the warden for being an advocate for his prisoners and encouraged him to seek any other free health opportunities that may be available in the community.
It is important to note that incarcerated populations have disparities in health care health risks and illness compared to the general population therefore; the role of community health in correctional institutes particularly in a low resource setting is of paramount use. Serving the incarcerated on that day and listening to many of their stories left many of us grateful giving us a different perspective on life.
