The demand for surgery in Dagahaley camp is very high. For urgent surgeries, such as those needed for trauma, abdominal issues, or complicated caesarean sections, patients are referred by health actors to medical facilities outside the camp in Garissa Region.

For elective surgeries—such as those for heart conditions, ear, nose and throat (ENT) issues, eye problems, and general surgeries—patients are either referred to hospitals in Garissa or Nairobi for emergencies, or must wait for surgery campaigns organized by health partners.

Refugees needing elective surgeries have to pay for themselves even after long waits for appointments. Seeking care outside the camp requires tedious and bureaucratic administrative procedures as opposed to emergencies.

In 2023 and 2024, MSF Mission in Kenya organized 3 elective surgical camps in Dagahaley, one of the camps in the Dadaab refugee complex in Kenya, to address these critical gaps in access to surgical care for refugee and host populations.

These camps targeted non-emergency but life-altering conditions such as hernias, goitres, obstetric fistulas, and cleft lips, which significantly impact the lives of affected people. Many of these patients had lived with these conditions for years due to the absence of affordable and accessible surgical services in the region.

The 3 surgical camps allowed MSF to provide essential surgeries to 263 patients, ranging from 7 to 91 years old.