Welcome Aboard Dr. Muravvej

By Dave Opiyo & Yvonne Gichuru

Twenty-five years ago, Dr. Samier Muravvej commenced his journey to fulfill his passion for being a Dental Surgeon.

Even though he initially had a keen interest in Engineering and had indeed, already sat in an Aerospace Engineering class for one year at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Australia, he could not resist the urge of joining the medical world and make his contribution.

Perhaps guided by the saying “Let yourself be silently drawn by the strange pull of what you love. It will not lead you astray,” Dr. Muravvej, returned to Kenya and in 1998, secured an enrolment at the University of Nairobi’s School of Dentistry.

He was more determined than ever to fulfill his ambition.

Four years later, Dr. Muravvej, like many of his classmates, interestingly got an opportunity to intern at Kenyatta National Hospital. This marked the beginning of his illustrious career, both in public and private practice.

However, little did the Dental Implantology specialist realize that 20 years later, he would return to the very hospital that shaped his career, to become its Board of Management Chairman.

On Friday, February 10, President William Ruto, through a gazette notice, made the appointment. This came as a great surprise to him.

“This appointment came as a surprise and an honor as well,” he told Newsline in an interview shortly after being handed over the office by outgoing chair Mr. George Ooko.

“I’m so grateful to the President, who considered me for this position. It is beyond my wildest dreams as I would never have imagined that an institution where I once gained my education and skills in practicing Dentistry, one day I would return as its chairperson…,’’ he added.

‘…and to be given a chance to be back to this institution to make it a better institution from the way I left it. I am committed to delivering the promise our President made to Kenyans in offering quality and affordable health care services.”

Newsline had a sit-down with Dr. Muravvej, just to understand his background and his vision for the hospital. Excerpts:

Tell us about yourself.

My name is Dr. Samier Muravvej. Born and bred in Mombasa. I undertook my primary and high school education at Aga Khan Primary and Aga Khan High. I had a keen interest in Engineering and so I did one year of Aerospace Engineering (at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Australia).

I came back to the country and secured my admission at the University of Nairobi where I applied to do Dentistry in 1998 and graduated in 2002.

Immediately thereafter, I joined Kenyatta National Hospital as an intern. After my internship, I moved to Coast General Hospital and after a year of working at Coast General, I was posted to Malindi where I did a short stint and then ventured fulltime into private practice.

I have a keen interest in doing Dental implants. My practice is specialized and mostly provides services related to Dental implantology. I am a fellow of the International Congress of Oral Implantologists. The practice has been running since 2004.

I also am an avid sportsman. I have had a passion for sports since when I was a teenager in high school. I have carried on with my love for sports and I am now actually one of the leading sports shooters in the country and top in my division called Carry-Optics division. I try to practice at least twice a week in best case scenario.

Were you surprised to be appointed for this position?

Before I answer that question, I would like to say that during Covid-19 time, I was appointed as the Chair of the sub-committee of Health in Mombasa County, and it was under my leadership that we converted the Technical University of Mombasa; Engineering wing, into a wing to assist Covid patients.

It was quite a daunting task, but I got great help from individuals that were part of my team. I believe we were able to assist the community to contain the spread of the disease during those times.

To answer the question, Yes, this appointment came as a surprise and an honor as well. I’m so grateful to the President who considered me for this position. It is beyond my wildest dreams as I would never have imagined that in an institution where I once gained my education and skills in practicing Dentistry, one day I would return as its Chairperson, and be given a chance to be back to this institution to make it a better institution from the way I left it. I am committed to delivering the promise our President made to Kenyans in offering quality and affordable healthcare services.

What is your message to the KNH staff as you take up this position? With a change in management, the first thing that comes to mind to people who are part of the institution is; how will the institution be disrupted or ‘how will my work be disrupted?’

I would request people not to think of it like that. Rather, they should think about how to effectively serve our cleints, and how will I personally improve my skills to offer these better services.

This is something I would like my staff at Kenyatta National Hospital to internalize; that we are here to serve patients. If the patients were not here, we would not be here. Therefore, everything we will do will be geared toward providing and delivering services that keep getting better and better. Be it medical services, hospitality services, education services, or whatever it is that affects the patient directly, we want to improve and move several levels up.

What is your parting shot?

I am very much a team player. I love working with people that are also team players. When it comes to work, there is no discrimination at all. The goal is to deliver. As a team player, it is also important to ensure that sometimes when you find that one of your team players is dropping the ball, talk to them to help them lift themselves rather than talking down on them. I believe in team spirit, but with a team, comes a lot of individual pressure.

I would like to create teams of people who are self-independent and can put pressure on themselves to meet timelines and deliverables.

Micromanagement is not my style and so any individual that has got some skills will endear themselves to me and I believe we’ll make a stronger team with such individuals.