Volunteer neurosurgeons save residents millions free surgeries

Theater attendants and medics prepare for a major procedure at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Hospital in Kisumu on January 8, 2019. [Denish Ochieng/Standard]

A team of six doctors is in the county to offer free surgical services.

The doctors, who are operating from the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital, are from local hospitals and the diaspora.

They are conducting a two-week medical camp dubbed the Kisumu Neuroscience Initiative.

In the past one week, the doctors conducted 20 brain, spine and cancer surgeries.

The team of volunteers is headed by Nairobi-based neurosurgeon Olunya Oluoch.

The other members are four America-based neurosurgeons and one from Germany.

According to Dr Oluoch, the free operations have saved the residents Sh50 million in medical expenses.

Families that have been unable to take their sick kin for expensive surgeries in top hospitals both locally and overseas could be seen yesterday queuing to see the experts.

Oluoch said the initiative was inspired by the dire need for neurosurgical services in western Kenya, a region with a population of nearly seven million people.

India treatment

“We want to make Kisumu a hub for neuroscience in terms of specialised care, infrastructure and personnel," he said.

"This initiative is a step towards achieving that goal."

Oluoch added that more doctors in the diaspora had expressed an interest in joining the initiative.

 According to one of the surgeons, Germany-based Timothy Ogutu, two men in their 20s checked into the camp.

They had lost hope since they had been advised to go to India for treatment and did not have money to travel there.

One was supposed to pay Sh7 million and the other one Sh4 million.

Dr Ogutu said the two presented the most complicated cases the surgeons had encountered at the camp.

“One of them fractured his spine while harvesting sand, while the other had a brain tumour. Spine injuries are extremely complicated and cost-intensive," said Ogutu.

He explained that, especially where brain tumours were concerned, a special microscope was needed.

He said the microscope would be shipped from Germany at a cost of Sh40 million before the end of the two.

Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o visited the hospital yesterday to assess the progress of the camp and described the initiative as "historic".

He also commissioned Sh35 million worth of refurbished medical equipment that was donated to the hospital by World Medical Relief.

The consignment included X-ray, ultrasound, dental X-ray and other imaging machines as well as surgical equipment and wheelchairs.