Kenya Army Launches Nationwide Medical Screening Programme

Kenya Army has launched the Annual Medical Screening Programme for its soldiers throughout all formations and units in an effort to enhance the readiness of its force through preventive healthcare and early detection.

Commander Kenya Army Lieutenant General David Ketter duly initiated the programme at Kenya Army Headquarters by further stating that every soldier, whether posted in a remote outstation or in a busy urban center, will be subjected to a thorough health screening during the exercise.

“Operational effectiveness is founded upon a force that is physically fit, mentally tough, and medically prepared to endure the burdens of military service,” Lt. Ketter said in the launch.

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The Importance of Regular Medical Examinations for Military Operational Readiness

This country-wide exercise will include health screenings for non-communicable diseases as well as infectious ones, vision and hearing tests, mental health assessments, nutrition, physical fitness, health education and counselling.

The programme, said the Kenya Army, is meant to build up operational capacity by keeping the troops fit and available for deployment.

According to Lt. Gen. Ketter, regular medical examinations are essential to the health status of the force, as they enable, among other things, “early detection, timely treatment and effective management of health conditions that could otherwise jeopardize operational readiness.”

He called on officers and men to take part in the exercise and said that an individual’s health directly affects the effectiveness of the military.

“The Commander urged everyone to support and participate actively in the screening programme,” the military said in a statement issued on Friday, adding, “a personal return to good health ensures the individual personnel is ready to face the challenges of the Kenya Army, provides support to his family and supports the effectiveness of the Kenya Army.”

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Preventive Healthcare and Troop Welfare in the Kenya Army

The Kenya Army also indicated that the program is part of its Civil-Military Cooperation strategy to develop a Healthy Preventive Medical culture and create a proficient, operationally focused, and disciplined Force ready to meet varied operational commitments.

In addition to identifying disease, the programme aims to promote healthy lifestyles and preventive health behaviours among service members.

Military leaders state that the screening process will contribute to keeping soldiers physically and psychologically fit for challenging missions and aiding the long-term viability of the force.

The annual programme highlights the Kenya Army’s emphasis on protecting the welfare of the troops, and the military argues that the success of the mission rests not just on training and equipment, but on the health and fitness of the armed forces.

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