The Anne Spoerry Sailing Doctors is a ‘Community Based Organization’ in Lamu, Kenya. It was founded in July 2009 for the purpose of providing regular basic health services to the remote areas of the Lamu District. The Sailing Doctors project was founded by Bernard Spoerry, Daniela Blattler, Nikolai Barnwell, Ali Gabow and Chloe Spoerry. Its mission was greatly inspired by the work of the late Dr Anne Spoerry who worked with AMREF’s Flying Doctors services since 1964.
We are currently the only medical organization providing regular medical care to remote areas of the Lamu District. In 2010, we provided care to over 11,000 patients including 1,642 vaccinations.
The Sailing Doctors project has 3 main areas of activity:
- A monthly mobile clinic by motorized dhow (4-5 days at the end of each month)
- A nurse posted at the Mangai dispensary who carries out mobile clinics by motorbike (4 trips per month)
- A Clinical Officer posted at the Shela dispensary (25 days per month).
The mobile clinic by motorized dhow visits the same 6 villages (mostly Bajuni communities) and the mobile clinic by motorbike visits the same 4 villages (mostly Boni communities). Note that these 3 main areas of activity are carried out in close partnership with the Ministry of Health of Kenya at the Lamu District Hospital (see our other partners).
1. Mobile clinic by dhow
On the 4-5 days mobile clinic we focus on the following:
- Immunizations: vaccines provided and administered by a nurse from the Lamu District Hospital
- Basic medical care
- Patient referrals
- HIV/AIDS detection and prevention (since January 2011)
- Occasional jiggers eradication programs.
- Hosting a veterinarian from the Lamu Animal Welfare Clinic (since August 2010)
- Data Collection
- Hosting health organizations that want to learn about the villages we visit.
2. Mangai dispensary and mobile clinic by motorbike
On the mobile clinic by motorbike we focus on the following:
- Immunizations: vaccines provided the Lamu District Hospital
- Basic medical care
- Patient referrals
- Data Collection.
3. Shela Dispensary
Our project leader, Clinical Officer Nizar Ali Salim, is assigned to the Shela dispensary. Is it from there that he organizes the monthly mobile clinics.
At the dispensary we focus on the following:
- Immunizations: vaccines provided the Lamu District Hospital
- Basic medical care
- Patient referrals
- Data Collection.
It is our hope that in the future, alongside basic medical care, we will be able to develop and implement a relevant and effective preventative strategy.