JOOTRH to launch red blood cell exchange for sickle cell

Dr. Richard Lesiyampe(Fourth Left), CEO of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital(JOOTRH) together with fellow staff and medical representatives from The Nairobi West Hospital during the signing of the partnership on Wednesday.[Benard Orwongo, Standard] In a major breakthrough development in the fight against Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) in Kenya, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) is set to begin offering red blood cell exchange (RBCx) therapy starting September 1, 2025. This will be the first time the therapy is available at the facility, following the acquisition of an apheresis machine made possible through technical support from The Nairobi West Hospital. The Nairobi West Hospital will also deploy experts to train JOOTRH staff and support the treatment rollout. This innovation is expected to reduce reliance on overseas care, particularly bone marrow transplants in India, while strengthening local capacity for long-term impact. The RBCx procedure is a non-surgical, advanced treatment that replaces abnormal red blood cells in sickle cell patients with healthy donor cells. This significantly improves oxygen delivery in the body, thus reducing complications and improving quality of life for patients, especially in regions with high sickle cell disease burden such as western Kenya. The new service will be provided at Victoria Hospital, JOOTRH's specialised sickle cell and haematology centre. It is part of a broader initiative to improve outcomes for patients in Kisumu and surrounding counties, an area that bears a disproportionately high prevalence of sickle cell disease. Kisumu County has a high prevalence of SCD due to a combination of factors, including its location within the malaria belt and the genetic inheritance patterns of the disease. The sickle cell trait (HbAS), which provides some protection against malaria, is also common in the region, leading to a higher chance of two carriers having a child with SCD. The Social Health Authority (SHA) will support the initiative by subsidising treatment costs for patients, making the life-saving procedure more accessible to low-income families. The Nairobi West Hospital, which runs Kenya's only Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) Unit, will play a key role in the project by deploying specialists to train JOOTRH staff and oversee the therapy's rollout. Established in October 2022, the hospital's BMT Unit has conducted a series of bone marrow transplants with a 100 per cent success rate over the past two years. It remains the only facility in the country to offer this complex treatment locally, significantly reducing dependence on foreign hospitals for critical care, particularly in India. Dr Kibet Shikuku, Medical Director at The Nairobi West Hospital, said the collaboration with JOOTRH will reduce outbound medical referrals significantly. "The collaboration with JOOTRH aims to build local capacity and reduce outbound medical referrals by providing high-end, life-saving interventions within Kenya," said Dr Shikuku through a teleconference during the signing of the partnership at Victoria Hospital yesterday(Wednesday). JOOTRH CEO Dr Richard Lesiyampe has welcomed the collaboration, saying it could be a game changer in SCD treatment. "This collaboration could be a game-changer for thousands of patients who previously had to travel abroad for treatment or faced long waiting periods at overstretched public facilities," said Dr Lesiyampe. As the country steps up investment in specialised care, the partnership between JOOTRH and The Nairobi West Hospital signals a shift toward decentralised, affordable and sustainable healthcare solutions, with long-term benefits for patients and the national health system.

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