Kenyan sports journalists have an opportunity to easily access quality medical services after a landmark partnership with leading health organisations.
In recent times, journalists have been facing a myriad of challenges, which include work pressures, threats from hostile sources and job losses that have become an issue to their health and wellness.
Kenyan sports journalists now have an opportunity to mitigate this after the Sports Journalists Association of Kenya (SJAK) partnered with four medical organisations to ensure scribes access the highly-sought services.
The organisations which include; House Of Dentistry, The Westlands Specialists Hospital, Restore & Renew and Holistic Weight Management Centre, held a free health and wellness camp in Nairobi which benefited over 80 sports scribes.
PAY ATTENTION: Stay updated with the Latest Sports News in Kenya from Pulse Sports
The Westlands Specialists screened journalists for prostate and breast cancer, conducted blood pressure tests, did dental checkups as well as mental awareness talk aimed at educating them on how all these influence their lives and work.
"I would like to take this opportunity to applaud SJAK for organising this event and the partners for giving us the optionality to know our health status," said Director of Sports, Ministry of Sports, Jackson Indakwa, who was among those in attendance.
"You know journalists do a lot of reporting on our athletes. They report about the results in various competitions and do the necessary follow ups on our athletes during their active careers and sunset years and the issues of health are very key."
Nelly Otieno of Restore and Wellness, noted: "The shock that journalists go through while covering some scenes, as mental health specialists, we feel there is a need for them to undergo mental wellness. We were able to support them (journalists) mentally and looked at the levels of stress, and advised whether they need to see doctors or to be talked to."
Journalists were advised to ensure they conduct routine medical checkups not just when they are unwell but also when they feel everything is okay as there could be some hidden illnesses that could be detected early.
"Healthy and happy journalists are usually more productive. Rolling out this concept that we conceived last year, will help lower the risk of health problems," said SJAK president James Waindi who is keen to ensure that future wellness programmes include webinars and training seminars conducted by medical professionals to sensitise sports scribes against lifestyle diseases.