Turkish volunteer doctors perform free surgeries in Kenya

Turkish volunteer doctors on Thursday offered surgeries free of charge for needy patients in the East African nation of Kenya.

In the three-day surgical camp organized by volunteer specialists from Doctors Worldwide Turkey, the Turkish state Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA), Safari Doctors, and Kenyan county officials, patients from across the region flocked to King Fahad hospital in the coastal town of Lamu to receive treatment for various ailments.

In a statement, the Turkish volunteer doctors said they were offering to do the surgical procedures of thyroidectomy, open cholecystectomy, inguinal hernia, abdominal hernia, hemorrhoids, anal fistula, lipomas, breast lumps, and gastric ulcers.

Amina Hassan, a Lamu resident, told Anadolu Agency: "This is the biggest free surgical camp I've ever seen here, we're grateful."

Patients could register for the camp by phone, and after surgery they were given the equivalent of $10 to help cover travel costs.

Separately, a team that arrived from Turkey on Thursday set off for a Dental Hygiene Awareness Camp in the capital Nairobi, among other areas.