Newsline
19/11/2021
We Listen, We Care
Issue 24
19/11/2021
KNH @120 YEARS
KNH Board Chair: Steering Right ISSUE 24 | Kenyatta National Hospital Newsline
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Contents
Editor’s note
ISSUE 24 Editor’s note p.2 KNH Board Chair: Steering Right p.3-4 Have you had your eyes checked? p.5 Healthy living needs a good diet p.6 Understanding the modern consumer in Healthcare Marketing p.7 Facing the camera p.8 Covid 19 and Fertility: Busting the Myths p.9 Giving back to the society p.10 Birthday Wishes p.11 KNH - on the frontline in the treatment of burns p.12 World prematurity Day: Restoring hope to babies P.13 Comedy Zone p.14 ON THE COVER KNH Board Chair: Steering Right p. 3
Marketing & Communication Department New Design Concept Team: Dave Opiyo, Edel Q. Mwende, Yvonne Gichuru & Collins Cheruiyot Editorial Team: Dave Opiyo, Edel Q. Mwende, Luke G. Kung’u , & Winfred Gumbo Stories: Dave Opiyo , Dr. Rebecah Nandasaba, Verah Mugambi, Sheila Murithi, Julius Ita, Chris Mwiti, Steve Mutuku, Faith Murithi, Lucy Ng’ang’a & Marian Moraa Design By: Collins Cheruiyot Photos: Nicholas Wamalwa, Jacqueline Ngure, Luke Kung’u, Michelle Wairimu, Julius Ita, Chris Mwiti & Steve Mutuku
Dear colleagues, This week, Kenyatta National Hospital received an ambulance from the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF). Both KNH CEO, Dr. Evanson Kamuri, EBS and NHIF CEO, Dr. Peter Kamunyo were optimistic that the vehicle will offer the much-needed support at the Covid-19 National Isolation Centre at KNH IDU-Mbagathi. It is indeed a pleasure for NHIF to donate this vehicle today and this will assist in achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC), “said NHIF CEO. This ambulance will assist KNH in achieving quality health care to our patients, said KNH CEO. KNH thanks NHIF for this donation. *************************************** Wish note: We appreciate all the men at KNH and their contribution to making society a better place. Happy International Men’s Day; November 19 th ! All the newsletters can be accessed online on: https://bit.ly/3uQGCcI Ms. Edel Q. Mwende, Manager, Marketing & Communication Kenyatta National Hospital
Tel: +254 20 2726300-9 Ext. 43121 or 43969 Fax: +254 20 272572
Email: caffairs@knh.or.ke knh.caffairs@gmail.com
To contribute or report on newsworthy items, please contact the Editorial team.
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KNH Board Chair: Steering Right By Dave Opiyo
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ewsline’s Dave Opiyo sat down with KNH Board Chair Mr. George Ooko to discuss a wide range of issues including his vision for the hospital, his professional background among others. Here are excerpts of the interview. Welcome Mr. Chairman to Newsline… Thank you for granting me this opportunity to talk to the KNH fraternity. I have met very many KNH staff. This is a big community and I’m sure many have not interacted with me. I’m glad to meet them through this forum. Tell us about your background? I’ll summarize this into three areas. My background is in management. I studied management in college. Over the years, I have worked in a variety of businesses, industries, and sectors. In the past 15 years, I have worked in two State agencies as a CEO, both in Public Finance. I’ve had a long experience in public finance. For instance, I took up the role of CEO in the Commission of Revenue Allocation. Here, I dealt mainly with the division of money between the National and County Governments. Before that, I worked in the banking sector. To be precise, I worked in two banks; NCBA Bank which is the former NIC Bank, and Barclays now ABSA Bank. Just to summarise, I’ve been working since the mid-’80s, mainly in Business Development and Marketing. Tell us about how you got into your line of work? I pursued and got a Bachelors’
degree in Commerce at the University of Nairobi. I then undertook an MBA in the same institution. In the mid-’80s, I was a tutorial fellow at the same University. As a result, I thought my future would be in the line of academics. I thought I’d end up being a lecturer after finishing my Masters degree but as fate would have it, I was fortunate to be offered a job in the USA for two years at Gillette Corporation, a company that deals with personal care products. At the company’s headquarters, I was trained in business analysis and business development. This turned out to be an interesting adventure for me. After experiencing working with the top leadership as an assistant, I later came back to Gillette Kenya, where I worked for about three years. I then left for Coca - Cola Company, a global beverage brand, and led the marketing services team within East and Central Africa. I am proud to mention that I was among the team that started CocaCola in Seychelles, competing with ‘Sey Cola’ at the time. This was a memorable and interesting experience in my career path. I also led the introduction of the ‘Stoney Tangawizi’ brand in Kenya. I later joined Barclays Bank in early 1995 to head their marketing function in Business Development. This led me into the world of Finance and later, Public Finance, and Public Service. After a change of Government in 2002, I developed a passion for joining Public Service to use my skills and contribute since I was well trained and exposed. Fortunately, a chance opened up for me to be CEO of the Coffee Development Fund, which was later renamed the Commodities Fund. I set this up from scratch and worked at the institution for five years. This is an organization that funded various commodities in the
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country. I later joined Commission on Revenue Allocation (Public Finance) which dealt with Devolution i.e. division of revenue, devolved services, health funding, and issues around supporting the introduction of devolution. After finishing my second term at CRA, I joined KNH at a very challenging time as the Chairman of the Board just when the COVID-19 pandemic hit the country. “A chain breaks at its weakest link”. For a chain to be stronger, you weld at its weakest point to make the chain stronger. In the same spirit, the Board’s agenda is to make KNH a better and stronger place even in service.
Who have been your strongest influences in life? I’ve had several mentors in my life and professional journey as well. I must give credit to my parents especially my father who had a great influence on me. Not forgetting my late elder brother; Charles who had a great impact on my academic and career path as well. I must also mention that I’ve had the luck of really working with great leaders in my career path right from Gillette to Barclays Bank. One of the things I learned all through is to observe and allow myself to be absorbed into the system and strive to improve the organization. It is usually important to understand an organization and a working system. My current role as Chairman takes me back to one Mr. Samuel Ambundo a renowned Chairman of Barclays Bank in the 90’s -a great individual and professional who I consider my reference point as the chairman. Share with us what you would want to improve at KNH? It is quite exciting to work at KNH. One of the things that I’ve tried to instill over the years is the elements of having an organization develop and keep on improving. With a great Strategic Plan, we intend to advance KNH as a referral and specialization hospital and
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invest in making sure that we are progressing. The government has invested a lot in level three hospitals in Nairobi. The intention is to relieve KNH of pressure occasioned by the absence of these facilities. This will allow KNH to focus on its mandate as a referral hospital. It will then further develop our specialization and invest in making sure we are progressing well in sub-specialties and new medical technology. We also intend to focus on the implementation of the ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning), which is a key component of the ICT. This will be deployed both on the administrative and clinical sides. Automation of our processes, for us, is key. As a board, we are also very keen on continuous training and development of KNH staff in all fields and departments to enable staff to develop themselves personally and professionally. We also intend to keep on improving our patient experience whenever they come to the hospital for our services. We want to be effective and efficient. The board will equally ensure that we make the hospital a conducive place to work. This entails offering support to the organization to enable it to grow. This also involves ensuring that the environment, the culture allow growth, development which will foster great results. The board, in any organization, is not an adversary to staff. It is there to ensure the right things are done. I cannot forget to appreciate colleagues I serve in the board with. We, indeed, have a cohesive and well functioning board. With so many great organizations to support, why would you encourage Kenyans to support KNH? The COVID-19 experience says it all. We were, for instance, in a situation where at one point there were no flights out of the country. This country should therefore trust us in dealing with all medical situations as we have the potential to provide world-class patientcentered specialized care services. Any cutting-edge technology in medicine should be available in KNH both for referral and training medical students.
What is your message to KNH staff and management? On behalf of the board, we truly appreciate what you do in the hospital and every input is highly valued. We do not take our staff for granted. Therefore “Hongera” to all KNH staff. Be sure to count on us in supporting the accomplishments and development of the hospital in all that you do. As a Board, we promise to address issues affecting staff and ensure continuous improvement. I’m equally proud of what the management – led by Chief Executive Dr. Evanson Kamuri has achieved over the years. I also wish to commend them for their hard work, dedication and commitment exhibited in moving the hospital forward. I also wish to add that I’m particularly pleased and proud of the transformation effected at the KNH Othaya hospital in the last year. The facility is now ready and is set to be launched – by President Uhuru Kenyatta – anytime soon. This is a model, I must say, that should be replicated countrywide – i.e taking referral services to more regions in the country. KNH Othaya now serves several surrounding counties including Nyeri, where it is situated, Murangá, Isiolo, Marsabit, Nyandarua, Tharaka Nithi, just to mention a few. This is a significant milestone.
Your parting shot? We are striving to make KNH one of Kenya’s most respected public institutions. One of my favorite sayings is that: “A chain breaks at its weakest link”. For a chain to be stronger, you weld at its weakest point to make the chain stronger. In the same spirit, the Board’s agenda is to make KNH, which is 120 years this year, a better and stronger place.
Name the top two or three lessons you learned from your life experience? Enjoy your work experience and make it a priority to enjoy what you do at your place of work. This has taken me a long way in building team spirit. Invest in people and systems to better the institution or an individual. This applies, especially in KNH. For the hospital to run, we need personnel and systems both on the Administration and Medical sides. One of the things that fascinate me in organizations and institutions is the development growth and advancement over a period of time.
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Have you had your eyes checked?
By Dr. Rebecah Nandasaba
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iabetes is one of the most prevalent noncommunicable diseases. Since the 1980s, diabetes has been on the rise due to the consumption of energy-dense food and an increasingly sedentary lifestyle. According to the International Diabetes Federation, around 415 million people worldwide were living with diabetes as of 2015. The World Health Organization statistics indicate that approximately 19 million people in Africa have diabetes. In Kenya, it is estimated that about three percent of people have the disease. Diabetes is classified as Type 1, Type 2, or Gestational. It is characterized by an elevated level of blood sugar and over time it may cause several complications that affect different parts of the body. Eye diabetes is associated with dry eyes, development of cataracts, glaucoma i.e. characteristic nerve damage that may be associated with raised pressure in the eye, and diabetic retinopathy. Diabetic Retinopathy Diabetic retinopathy is one of the complications of diabetes that affect the retina i.e. the back part of the eye that is made up of nerves and blood vessels. It occurs in around 34.5 %
of patients with diabetes. In Kenya diabetic retinopathy affects one in every three people with diabetes. Chronically elevated blood sugar damages the small blood vessels of the retina. The damaged vessels become leaky and bleed easily. Over time scar tissue forms, contracts and pulls on the retina creating tears in the retina. This then leads to a retinal detachment which, if not treated on time, leads to blindness. Risk factors. The risk of developing diabetic retinopathy includes having diabetes for a long duration of time, sustained poor control of high blood sugar levels, having concurrent high blood pressure and pregnancy. Sign and symptoms At the early stages, diabetic retinopathy is usually painless and can remain undetected for a long time. As the damage of the retina progresses the damaged vessels can bleed into the eye or develop membranes and retinal detachment that can cause poor vision. Management Treatment options for diabetic retinopathy include laser treatment, injection of specific medication into the eye, and surgery for advanced disease. This is supported by good control of blood sugar and a good diet
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as advised by physicians and nutritionists. Prevention Diabetes is a leading cause of preventable blindness. This means that if detected early, measures can be put in place to prevent the loss of vision. Vision loss as a result of diabetic retinopathy is preventable through having an eye examination by an eye specialist as soon as one is diagnosed with diabetes. This is then followed up by annual screening which involves an examination of the retina. Screening is done by taking a photo of the retina using a special camera known as the Fundus Camera. It can also be done by a detailed examination of the eye by an eye specialist in an eye clinic. Screening or regular examination is very important as the early stages of diabetic retinopathy are silent and one may not know that the eyes are being damaged. When signs of diabetic retinopathy are picked up early treatment is initiated to prevent the disease from progressing. These services are available at the Kenyatta National Hospital which offers comprehensive eye services led by a team of retina specialists known as vitreoretinal surgeons. Make sure you have your eyes checked!
PHOTO | HOWTORELIEF
Microscopic view of a healthy Retina and an infected one.
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Healthy living needs a good diet
PHOTO | CHRIS MWITI KNH OTHAYA Kitchen staff being trained on the newly I nstalled kitchen equipment.
By Chris Mwiti The newly constructed kitchen at KNH Othaya will be a major gamechanger in the provision of balanced diet to staff and patients. The hospital initially had a kitchen whose equipment was capable of preparing meals for 150 people. However, an increase in the number of both staff and patients when the hospital became operational stretched the facility, hence the need for a much bigger and better equipped facility. The challenges experienced by catering staff have now been effectively managed by the modernized unit. “We were not in a position to cope with the demand in the hospital but with the new facility, the smooth and expedited flow of catering services in the hospital is assured,” noted Mr. Kasina Kelvin, a chef at the KNH -Othaya Catering Unit. The new facility is fully equipped with commercial ovens, cold rooms, numerous gas banners, gas boilers, a diet kitchen for patients on diet, a staff cafeteria designed to make the unit self-reliant.
“Proper and timely nutrition is vital in the patients’ recovery journey. We now can individualize the care of our patients and serve them to the already established standards of Kenyatta National Hospital,” opines Ms. Eveline, Catering Manager. “KNH-Othaya has a bed capacity of over 350 beds. We have to feed all our patients with a proper diet and quality food. Many patients follow a diet during their treatment process, malnutrition patients often have higher complication rates, low treatment response, which results in longer hospital stay and higher expenses,” she adds. Miss Eveline says that the hospital catering services play a very crucial role in providing a suitable diet for patients who are hospitalized for a long or short period. A lot of factors are kept in mind while providing meals to the hospital and patients. Maximum attention is given to preparing food that is tasty, safe, and nutritional in a hygienic manner. The hospital catering offers a wide array of nutritious and delicious meals from different cultures according to the dietary needs and
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tastes of the patients which will help them recover quickly since the meals are freshly prepared by professional chefs. Once the food is prepared, highly trained staff deliver the food to the respective patients effectively and on time as meal time cannot be compromised or delayed. Some of the diet plans that hospital catering services cater for hospitals are as follows: High-calories high protein diet, renal diet, cardiac diet, diabetic food, liver-friendly diet, etc. Miss Eveline says KNH Othaya catering staff are grateful to the management for providing them with a fully equipped kitchen. We are now able to provide a worldclass patient-centered specialized care hospital in the Mount Kenya region.” she concluded
PHOTO | CHRIS MWITI The newly equipped KNH- Othaya kitchen unit
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From the communication desk:
Understanding the modern consumer in Healthcare Marketing PHOTO | ATTUNE TECHNOLOGIES
By Sheila Murithi Healthcare, how it is sourced and given, has gradually changed over the years but this change has been aggressively accelerated in the recent past when a paradigm shift on online dependence was brought about by the COVID-19 Pandemic. While the previous patient was fine waiting in line, today’s consumer wants it now. The patient of the past took orders from the healthcare provider, while the modern healthcare consumer makes their own decisions by evaluating their options and getting second opinions. With this shift, marketing comes along to help hospitals create, communicate, and provide value to their target consumers. Patients actively participate in their health and well-being, today’s consumer expects the basics along this journey. They want effective communication, transparency, and proper delivery of promised services. If we claim to Listen and Care then we ought to deliver exactly that. They expect with every interaction there will be a listening ear and a caring attitude to their needs. They also anticipate hospitals to improve services based on their feedback and expectations. That is why they take the time to fill in the customer feedback books and directly send messages to the hospital through our social media pages. It may seem to be too much, you ISSUE 24 | Kenyatta National Hospital Newsline
may think; when do we get on to treating the patients as is expected of us as healthcare providers? But instead of being overwhelmed, we try to understand what this means for the hospital and its communication. KNH can leverage consumerism to build a strong, effective, and dominant brand by: Understanding who we are Most, if not all institutions have taken time to explain this aspect through many communication channels and KNH is not amiss to this. Such channels include websites, banners, brochures, direct sales people, in our case, all hospital staff are sales people; let’s face it, we are walking billboards. Healthcare consumers are savvy about brand purpose, vision, and mission. They want to know our core values and the actions we take to bring our vision to life. Our brand, or who we are, must be apparent by our brand identity or the designed visuals that bring our brand to life. Understand our target audience with patient personas Today’s healthcare consumers expect the hospital to know their needs and expectations. A hospital of choice understands the patients’ perceptions and offers memorable experiences to patients. To understand this modern healthcare consumer and what they need, we need to switch our mindset from: “This is what we think you need” to “This is what you are interested in.”
Once that is established we can now form patient personas. A patient persona is a fictional person that stands as a representation of a group of patients with significant similarities. Patient acquisition and retention today calls for targeted marketing which requires a complete understanding of who your ideal patients are and how to reach them. To do this, you need a detailed view of these patient personas. Today’s modern healthcare consumer is looking for medical information online. As they search for a hospital, they find information on other hospitals, hospital services, and patient reviews. We then need to continue empowering our online messaging to include the information people want to learn and know before choosing our hospital. The bottom-line is the hospital will communicate the promise of level 6 referral hospital in East and Central Africa and our patients will come expecting services matching the prestige. The modern consumer will refer to all our tools of promise such as the service charter, the vision and mission, the online campaigns and messaging and expect us to be accountable to our promise. If we fall short, they will definitely call us out on our failures. We must then bridge this gap by being exceptional in our service delivery, remember we are walking billboards.
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Our story in pictures
PHOTO | NICHOLAS WAMALWA
KNH CEO Dr. Evanson Kamuri, EBS and NHIF CEO Dr. Peter Kamunyo display the handover certificate of the critical care ambulance for the Covid-19 KNH-Mbagathi National Isolation Centre
PHOTO | LUKE KUNG’U
A team of Health care providers from India paid a courtesy visit to KNH on a fact-finding mission for Universal Health Coverage. The team was received by CEO KNH Dr. Evanson N. Kamuri (EBS) and later taken on a guided tour of the hospital
PHOTO | LUKE KUNG’U
PHOTO |COURTESY
Grants Management Officer Ms. Doris Kananu, on behalf of KNH CEO Dr. Evanson N. Kamuri EBS, received diabetes drugs, glucometers and glucose strips from Marketing Manager Surgilinks Ltd Mr. Richard Obonyo Okong’o on 11th November 2021
A team of lead auditors undergoing training by KEBS at Rahimtulla wing from 15/11/2021 to 20/11/2021
PHOTO I MICHELLE WAIRIMU
PHOTO | JACQUELINE NGURE
The Radiology Department staff during a celebration to mark World Radiography Day
KNH Renal Unit carrying out a 3 day AVF and Kidney Transplant Screening Outreach in Longisa County Referral in Bomet County, Narok County Referral and Nakuru Level 5 Hospital
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Covid 19 and Fertility: Busting the Myths… By Vera Mugambi When Pfizer-BioNTech, first vaccine to help fight the COVID-19 virus was approved, it was a major sigh of relief worldwide. At this time, scientists were burning the midninght oil, developing other vaccines that have played a major role in keeping the disease at bay – at least for now. As the good news spread around the world, so did rumors and misinformation about the vaccine which is one of the reasons for the hesitancy being witnessed around the world. One of the most spread misinformation that has gained traction in Kenya and sub-Saharan Africa is the lie that the vaccine could cause infertility in both men and women. Newsline , therefore, went out to check whether this is fact or fiction, by engaging experts; Here’s their take… Dr. Duncan Nyukuri, a KNH physician at Infectious Disease Unit (IDU): “Covid-19 vaccine does not affect anyone’s fertility. It’s just a speculative statement in terms of what people are saying. At least based on the studies that have been done both during the development of the vaccine and after the vaccine was launched, it hasn’t been shown to affect fertility. “If you analyze how the vaccines work and how they build immunity to fight the infections, it does not affect or go through/to the reproductive organs. I can’t think of anything in the
PHOTO | COURTESY Dr. Duncan Nyukuri, a KNH physician at Infectious Disease Unit (IDU):
composition of the vaccines that may affect fertility. “This talk of vaccines affecting fertility is a really old story which has been told over & over again any time a new vaccine is launched, for example when launching the HPV vaccine, also when the polio campaign was ongoing. Fertility is a very sensitive issue for both men and women and such may be of concern to many, creating fears from what people are told and it’s not based on any real science. “Covid-19 vaccine is safe and I wish people will seek clarifications from experts before concluding it. It’s safe for those trying to conceive and those who are pregnant already. “Association of gynecologist society and WHO have also addressed this issue of vaccination and pregnancy well. First, we know when a pregnant woman gets covid-19; she tends to have severe symptoms compared to a non-pregnant woman since her immunity is still low. “Getting covid-19 when you are pregnant is not a good thing at all
MIS C O N C E P TION “This talk of vaccines affecting fertility is a really old story which has been told over & over again any time a new vaccine is launched, for example when launching the HPV vaccine, also when the polio campaign was ongoing.
PHOTO | COURTESY Dr. Wanja Njiru, Senior Registrar Obstetrics & Gynecology
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both to the mother and the baby… and we have a vaccine that can prevent a severe outcome associated with covid-19. That to me, is a very powerful reason why people should get vaccinated. “Covid-19 is still there and still real though the numbers have gone down; we still take risk of getting the 5th wave. People have relaxed and behave like Covid-19 is no longer a big deal. As long as covid-19 is spreading a lot somewhere in the world, we are at risk. “We saw the effects the pandemic has caused, so as much as the numbers are low, there’s always that potential of another wave coming and that wave will be of the unvaccinated. The benefits of the vaccines outweigh the risks by far. Let’s get vaccinated.” he said.
PHOTO | VERAH MUGAMBI Eunice Atieno getting her second COVID-19 vaccine at Helipad.
Dr. Wanja Njiru, Senior Registrar Obstetrics & Gynecology “This is a myth. There is no scientific or medical fact issued by researchers that have proven any form of interrelation between the vaccine and the reproductive system in both males and females.
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“Currently no evidence shows that any vaccine, including COVID-19 vaccines cause fertility problems (problems trying to get pregnant) in women or men. There is no data indicating that the vaccine may cause infertility. “The vaccines do not contain ingredients that are known to be harmful to the reproductive system or pregnant people/ the developing baby. “Covid -19 vaccination is even recommended in pregnancy, that’s how safe it is. Vaccination is the best way to protect yourself and your unborn baby from the known risks of Covid-19 during pregnancy.” According to CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Covid 19 vaccination is recommended for people trying to
get pregnant in the future as well as their partners. There is currently no evidence that any of the Covid-19 vaccines cause fertility problems in men or women. If you get pregnant after receiving your 1st shot of a covid-19 vaccine that requires 2 doses you should get the 2nd dose to get as much protection as possible The covid-19 vaccines are safe and does not harm your reproductive system. You do not have to wait for a particular time in your Trying to Conceive (TTC) timeline or pregnancy to get the vaccine. During the interview, Newsline met Eunice Atieno from Kariobangi. She got her first dose on August 11, 2021, and a month and a half later she got pregnant. “At first, we were scared (I mean
me and my friends) and it took us long to get vaccinated… but later we decided to go. The first time we heard of the vaccine, we had already consumed a lot of misinformation about it; like; it’s a magnet, it’s a chip by the USA government & worst was the rumors of people will die within 2 years after vaccination”, she said laughing. “Most of my family members & friends later got vaccinated after they saw nothing has happened to me. So far am doing well and as you can see today i have come for my 2nd dose, so I would like to urge the youths and everyone else to get vaccinated. Am a living proof that the vaccine doesn’t affect fertility so let’s go and get vaccinated. It’s really important”, she concluded.
Reaching out to the society By Julius Ita Kenyatta National Hospital-Othaya medics held a one-day outreach at the Mathenge Technical Training Institute, where students and staff were given talks on Mental health, Non-communicable diseases, HIV/AIDS, and alcohol abuse. “In the past few months we have received several cases of abortion and suicide at the hospital from the institution that prompted us to visit the training facility with the intent to intervene,” said Ms. Aisha Nduru, HoD Medical Social Work. With the recent spike of incidences happening in learning institutions in the country, KNH Othaya being a Level 6 hospital in this region is best placed to reach out to learning facilities and lend these muchneeded services to the students and staff. Mr. Stephen Maingi H.o.D Counselling Department said, “From the reception we have received today, I believe we need to do more as professionals and as KNH Othaya. One can tell that these students are in dire need of an intervention be it directly or indirectly.” On their part, the institute’s management concurred that more needs to be done and we’re very open to proposals channeling a way forward. “We are looking into coming up with an MoU as the referral institution of choice for Mathenge technical,” said Ms. Aisha. She went on “This will be included in the growing list of institutions that we have MoU’s with.” she concluded.
PHOTO | JULIUS ITA HoD social work, Ms. Aisha Nduru giving a talk to students of Mathenge technical training institute in Othaya during an outreach event
PHOTO | JULIUS ITA HoD counseling Stephen Maingi sensitizing students of Mathenge Institute.
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PHOTO | JULIUS ITA Students of Mathenge Institute showing their dance moves during a break session
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To the 418+ November babies, we are glad that you are part of our team. Happy birthday! From Marketing & Communication team. 201 MR. GILLBERT ONYONKA OBEGI 202 MRS. HAWO ALI 203 MR. PAUL MWENDA MWIRIGI 204 MISS. CATHERINE WAMBUI 205 MR. PHILIP MOLLO ODUK 206 MR.COLLINS JORAM OTIENO 207 DR.SAMMY KILONZO MUTISYA 208 MR. MICHAEL NGUGI 209 MISS. SUSAN KARIMI 210 MRS.BRENDA AKINYI OTIENO 211 MISS. BETSY JEPKORIR CHERUTOI 212 MR. ERICK K CHIRCHIR 213 MR. KEVIN KIPKEMOI KAITTANY 214 MR. JASPER NYAMWAYA AYAYE 215 MR. SAMUEL KAMAU KIMANI 216 MISS. ESTHER JEPKOECH SANG 217 MISS. MARY RUTH GEOFFREY 218 MISS. CAROLINE ANYANGO ODHIAMBO 219 DR. KETERE KUNTAI 220 MISS.ANN BANCY WANJA MARTIN NJOGU 221 MR. ANTHONY ATUKE OTISO 222 MISS. JACKLINE NYANCHOKA MOGOA 223 MR. MORRIS MWANIKI NJOKA 224 MISS. JOYCELINE MWARANIA 225 MISS. ROSE MUTHONI NJAGI 226 MR. LEONARD KIPKORIR MUTAI 227 MISS. SARAH WAWIRA MBOGO 228 MISS. IRENE NASIMIYU NAMISI 229 MRS.ELLAH WACHUKA MAINA 230 MR. KENNEDY KIPCHUMBA LIMO 231 MR. FRED J. NGARI NDUNGU 232 MISS. BEVERLY JEBAWEN KOSKEI 233 MISS.CAROLINE KAWIRA GATOBU 234 DR. MARIAN ESIROMO AMASE 235 MR VINCENT SHIMANYULI AMBEYI 236 DR.ERICK NGANGA MWANGI 237 MR. JAMES MATHENGE WANJOHI 238 MR. JESSE KAMAU KINUTHIA 239 MISS. GRACE JEPCHUMBA KOSGEI 240 MISS. LUCY MAITI JACKSON 241 MR. ALEXANDER RICHARD GATIMU 242 MR. ALEX MUTYAMBWI WILLY 243 MISS.KEZIAH SAYO KIPANDE 244 MISS. RUTH SYOMBUA KIMEU 245 MISS. VIRGINA WANGUI KAMAU 246 MISS. CHARLES MUNGAI MWAURA 247 MISS. JOSEPHINE NYABATE CHUMA 248 DR.ABDULLAHI ABDI MOHAMED 249 MR. LAWRENCE SIATIKHO MADERE 250 MISS. ZIPPORA NDINDI MASAKU 251 MR. EVANS GWARO SAGINI 252 MRS.ALICE NJOKI NTHIGA 253 MISS. LILIAN WANJIRU KINYUA 254 DR.PETER MUNENE GIHUNGE 255 MR. ISAAC MALELE ISEMECK 256 MISS. VIOLA JERONO KENDAGOR 257 MR. ELIUD KIPCHIRCHIR ROP 258 MISS. MERCY NJOKI NJUGUNA 259 MISS. HELLEN MULOMBE KYELI 260 MISS. PHIBIAN ANGECHI JAMODZA 261 DR. PENNINAH MUMBI KABETHI 262 MISS.FAITH NJOKI MAINA 263 MR. BENARD GACHAGO WAWERU 264 MR. PATRICK MUTINDWA KAMUNDI 265 MISS.ROSE AKIRU NATIR 266 MISS. PAMELLA KAWIRA 267 MR. BENSON ABINERI NYANKURU 268 MR.JOSEPH WARUINGI MWANIKI 269 DR. CAROLINE CLARA WAMBUI 270 MISS. KHADIJA MUTHONI ALI 271 MR.CALEB OLEKETE NYONGESA 272 MISS. JEMIMAH WANGARI WANJIRU 273 MISS. CATHERINE MUNYIVA MUTIE 274 MRS.MARY NDUNDA MBENGE 275 DR.FAITH WANJIRU KARANJA 276 DR.JACQUELINE KAVETE MBULI 277 MR. CHARLES MAKINDA MWENDA
278 MRS. FLORENCE MWENDE NJERU 279 MISS.ANASTACIA NKATHA KAMUNDI 280 MISS. LILIAN CHEPKOECH MARITIM 281 MISS. JOYCE WAMBUI KAROKI 282 MISS. JOSPHINE JEPCHIRCHIR 283 MR. GEOFFREY KAROMO MURITU 284 MR. ALFONCE TAMA KIVINDYO 285 MR. CLIFF MOSETI OBWOGI 286 MR. DAVID KIMURGOR KOGO 287 MISS. ANITA KAVOCHI MENGESA 288 MR. SAMUEL ORICHO ABUYA 289 MR.AUGUSTINE MUTISYA MUKITI 290 MR.RICHARD MBOGO KAMAU 291 MR. JONES MORARA NYABINGE 292 MR.PHILIP OMARIBA ATEMBA 293 MR. DAVID KIBIWOT KANDA 294 MISS CECILIA NYOKABI MWANIKI 295 MISS.FLORENCE WANJIKU MACHARIA 296 MR.SHADRACK KIMATHI MITHIKA 297 MISS.REGINAH ADOYO OUMA 298 MISS. FAITH MWIKALI KITHOKOI 299 MISS. DORIS KANANU MURIANKI 300 MISS. EUNICE NJAMBI NYAGA 301 DR.THOMAS JUNIOR MUNYAO 302 MR.FESTUS JORAM OSINDE 303 MR. VICTOR KIPKULEI KIMECHWA 304 MR.BENJAMIN MUTHINI MBEVI 305 DR. JOHN OUMA NANGURI 306 MR.AMOS MURIITHI MUCHARA 307 MISS.EMMY MUTHOKI MWANTHI 308 MR. JOSEPH ODUOR OWINO 309 MISS. CAROLINE WANJIRU GATHINGI 310 MR. EPHANTUS OSORO OMURWA 311 MISS.HANNAH WANGECI IRUNGU 312 MR. MORRIS MUREITHI NDEGWA 313 MR.CHARLES CRYUS NGAARI MWANIA 314 MR.ARTHUR AYIEKO 315 MR WYCLIFFE TATAYO IYADI 316 MISS. CAROLINE MUKIRI M. KIRERA 317 MR. ROY NZUKI MUTUNGA 318 MISS. YVONNE MUTHONI MBUTHIA 319 MR. BERNARD KOECH 320 MR. ADMSON JAMES LEMINTILA 321 MR. MOSES KANTAI WOTUNI 322 MR. ERICK CHARLES ONAM 323 DR. CYNTHIA ACHIENG ODIPO 324 MISS. PAMELA KENDI KINYUA 325 MISS. MERCY KINARA 326 MISS.FAITH NZILANI MUTISYA 327 MR.ROBERT MUTUMA MURIUKI 328 MISS.EMMA AUMA OUKO 329 MR. ALFRED LANGAT 330 MR.COLLINS OKWAKO YIEMBE 331 MS. JANE NAOMI WAMUYU 332 MISS. ODESSA WUGHANGA 333 MRS.ESTHER OMALE AYUKU 334 MISS. JOYCE JERONO KIPKEU 335 MISS. DORCAS NJERI KABUGO 336 MISS. FRIDA MUKAMI NJERU 337 DR.CATHERINE NAPO MUGOMA 338 MRS.CLARA LUMADI MUDAKI 339 MR. JAMES ODHIAMBO ONYANGO 340 MRS.JACINTA MUKABANA ASHIOYA 341 MR.BENSON OBIRI MOGENI
342 MISS. DOLPHINE KEMUMA OMBATI 343 MISS.CATHERINE CHEPKOECH MUNAI 344 MRS. PENINAH MUTHONI KIHUNGI 345 MISS. WILFRED MBITHI KALUA 346 MISS. JULIET BERYL OMIRE 347 MISS.GLADYS NYAMBURA CHEGE 348 MR. SIDNEY CHIFALU ZOKA 349 MRS.FLORENCE WANGITHI WANJOHI 350 MR.JACKSON MUNENE MUGENDI 351 MISS. FATUMA EDIN ISSACK 352 MRS.ANJELA AMOITI JUMA 353 MISS.LILIAN ACHIENG OTIENO 354 MR.JOSEPH NJUGUNA WAKABA 355 MISS.DOREEN AYIECHA OKWEMBA 356 MR.PHILLIPH MAINGA MAKORI 357 DR.SHEM GEOFFREY AKOKO OKUMU 358 MR. JOSEPH NYAMAI PAUL 359 MRS.QUINTER AWUOR OWINYO 360 MRS.SALOME AYAKO KOTE 361 MISS. LEONIDA BARONGO MOGESI 362 MISS. JOAN NJERI WAMBU 363 MISS.IMELDA OMINDE 364 MISS.JANEROSE MUKAMI NDEGWA 365 MR.FRANCIS MACHARIA NDEGWA 366 DR. LUCY KAREGI MURIUNGI 367 MISS. DOROTHY WANJIKU MBUGUA 368 MISS. RUTH NGAMI MUMO 369 MR.HESBON MISERA NYAMWEGA 370 DR.DENNIS KARANI NKONGE 371 MR.CALVINE OTIENO OBARE 372 MR.RONALD NYAMBANE OGWERI 373 MISS.ELIZABETH AWUOR OLUOCH 374 MR. PETER NGIGI WAWERU 375 MISS. ANGELINE NZILANI MUMO 376 MRS. FRIDAH ADHIAMBO OINDO 377 MR. BRIAN KHAEMBA OMBIMA 378 MRS.DAISY NYAMBURA MBUTI 379 MISS.DEBORAH MULEMIA MALANGA 380 MR. KIPROTICH BENARD TERER 381 MRS.JACINTA MUTHIKE PAUL 382 MRS.PHYLIS WAITHIRA MBUTU 383 MISS.DORRIS NGINA MUNEE 384 MR. JONATHAN KIGEN KIMUTAI 385 MISS.MARTINA WAWUDA MWANYALO 386 MISS. LUCY AKOTH OMONDI 387 MRS.MERCYLINE NAFUNA KACHOMA 388 MISS.MARY WANGARE 389 MISS. VERONICA WAMUCII MUGO 390 MISS. TABITHA NYOKABI NJUGUNA 391 MISS. EUNICE NAIRESIAE MUSEI 392 MISS FAITH WANJIKU KIMUNGE 393 MISS. MERCY ACHIENG OKOYO 394 MISS. NANCY MORAA MARANGA 395 MRS.DEKA SULEIMAN AHMED 396 MISS.WINNIE JEMAIYO TALAM 397 MRS. MARY ANN MWANGANGI 398 MR. MARTIN GICHUKI GACHIE 399 MISS.LILIAN KERUBO MAINA 400 MISS.GLORIA CHEROP MISIK 401 MISS. BEVERLYN MBATHA NZIU 402 MISS.JACINTA JULIET MUTHEU KILONZO 403 MRS. NAKWAWI NATIT PAMELA 404 MISS. CATHERINE WAIRIMU GACHOKI 405 MR.EDWARD ODIWUOR 406 MISS LILIAN CHEPCHUMBA NAIBEI 407 MRS. MAQUILINE AKINYI JUMA 408 MISS.MORINE GATHONI KWAMBA 409 MR.AUGUSTINE NGANGA MUTUA 410 MISS CAROLINE KINYA KIMATHI 411 MISS. AGNES NDWARI KIROTI 412 MISS. JOANROSE CHEPKIRUI 413 MR.TONY KIPCHUMBA KIPROP 414 MISS.MILLICENT JELAGAT KENDAGOR 415 MISS.FANCY CHEPKORIR KOGO 416 MISS.KATE WANGARI MUTHONI 417 MR. BRIAN ODHIAMBO OWICH 418 MISS.PERIS NYAMBURA KIMANI
HAPPY BIRTHDAY NOVEMBER BABIES
ISSUE 24 | Kenyatta National Hospital Newsline
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KNH - on the frontline in the treatment of burns By Steve Mutuku, Faith Murithi & Lucy Ng’ang’a. Kenyatta National Hospital has been on the frontline in the treatment of burns. Last month, for instance, the hospital attended to 15 burn cases, most of which arose from accidents. According to Senior Nursing Officer James Odhiambo, the majority of these are intentional burns on children between the ages of 3 and 12 years, mainly from parents, as a form of punishment, which they later on regret. Sharon Bahati, is a burns survivor admitted at KNH’s Burns Unit, after being referred from Meru Referral Hospital. She vividly recalls the events that led her to the hospital bed like yesterday. “The kerosine stove I was using at home exploded on my face. I had burns on my face, chest, and arms,” she tells Newsline. “The explosion shocked me. I’m told I immediately fell unconscious and remained in that state for a week while in hospital. I was transferred to KNH from Meru and was admitted at the Burns Unit for an entire month,” she said a team of specialists at KNH worked to stabilize my vitals. “I was infused to replace fluids lost during my treatment. Debridement, which is the removal of the dead skin commenced as they prepared me for theatre where I underwent skin grafting,” she added. Cleaning the facial, arms, and chest wounds was a painful process that made her feel like she would lose the battle. This is because her burns had covered around 40% of her skin. She responded well to treatment and was subsequently transferred to the Rehabilitation Ward 4D where a procedure to graft her skin was undertaken. “We used her thighs as the donor part and grafted some skin on her face and hands. After two months of intense physiotherapy, it enabled her to regain her arms functionality and skin” Mr. Odhiambo said. “Through counseling and assistance from Kenyatta National Hospital, my life was saved. I’m able to regain my confidence considering
The Occupational (L-R) James Odhiambo Senior Nursing Officer and Sharon Bahati during an interview at Kenyatta National Hospital on 3rd Nov 2021. She survived kerosene stove explosion burns PHOTO | STEVE MUTUKU
PHOTO | PETCOACH.COM Gas burner, one of the fatal sources of burns victims in many households
the severe burns I underwent and I appreciate the team for reviving my dignity,” says Ms. Bahati. Sharon has been discharged from the hospital. The writers are on an internship at the Marketing & Communication department at Kenyatta National Hospital.
PHOTO | STEVE MUTUKU Sharon Bahati, is a survivor of a burn injury at Kenyatta National Hospital.
ISSUE 24 | Kenyatta National Hospital Newsline
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World Prematurity Day: Restoring hope to babies By Marian Moraa Ms. Grace Njoki 45, from Kawangware, Nairobi County, was hoping to deliver a healthy full-term baby five years ago. Unfortunately, she had a pre-term birth. Her bundle of joy came to the world earlier than expected, weighing only 1Kg. This experience took a toll on her. She could not imagine her baby could survive. Mr. Gerald Kwizera 40, a father of a pre-term baby has a similar story. “When I first laid eyes on my son, I could not believe that a baby born so tiny could eventually develop into a grown healthy human being,” he says. Ms. Christine Munyi 35, a mother with a new preterm baby also shares her story. Blessed with a twin pregnancy, one unfortunately passed on before birth, while the other one was born prematurely at 32 weeks. “I was advised and encouraged by the doctors and nurses at KNH that my baby would be given the utmost care,” says Ms. Munyi, who had all her antenatal clinic visits at KNH. Premature birth is the delivery of a baby before they have attained 37 weeks either through a caesarian section or normal delivery. According to KNH consultant Neonatologist-Dr. Mary Waiyego, the care given to pre-term babies is a multidisciplinary affair. “We work with cardiologists, neurosurgeons, pediatric surgeons, among other consultants to take care of babies presenting any complications,” she says. KNH New Born unit is well equipped with a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), Neonatal High Dependency Unit (NHDU), and facilities to take care of not only preterm babies but also term sick babies who require respiratory support in form of invasive ventilation as well as Continuous Positive Air Pressure (CPAP). The unit also offers therapeutic hypothermia for babies who get complications at delivery. There is a 10-bed capacity Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) Unit that is specifically set aside to assist mothers in stabilizing their baby’s heart rate, regulating the breathing pattern, improving oxygen saturation levels, boosting the parent-child bond
among many other benefits. “The care we give to mothers and babies born prematurely is dependent on the baby’s condition,” states Ms. Grace Mbaabu- a trained Kangaroo Nurse at KNH. “For the stable preterm babies who do not require any support in terms of ventilation, we immediately start them on Kangaroo Mother Care which is an early, prolonged skinto-skin care between the parent/ guardian and the baby. This can and should be done continuously or intermittently for 18-21 hours per day,” she adds. “During their stay in the hospital, we have continuous messages to mothers on topics involving hygiene, feeding their babies, immunization, and the importance of follow-up visits as soon as they are discharged from hospital,” Ms. Mbaabi adds. Ms. Njoki is just among the many successful preterm birth stories that KNH continues to deliver. “I can only thank God and the KNH team for ensuring my baby who is now 5 years old survived despite being born preterm’ she adds. Mr. Kwizera urges other fathers to assist their partners in taking care of their newborns just like he did. “I appreciate the advice given at KNH that fathers can and should also practice Kangaroo care. I can attest that it works and boosts the baby’s growth and health daily.” He says. “The service I have received so far is impressive. KMC has given me a chance to bond with my baby and now I am looking forward to discharging,” Ms. Christine speaks while practicing KMC at the New Born Unit. KNH New Born Unit joined the world in marking World Prematurity Day on November 17, 2021. The day aims at raising awareness for the challenges of preterm births and shines a light on the risks and consequences faced by preterm infants and their families worldwide. Preterm birth is the leading cause of death in children under the age of five. Each year; about 15 million babies worldwide are born prematurely, that is about 1 in 10 children. The global COVID-19 pandemic forced neonatal units worldwide to adopt strict safety measures
ISSUE 24 | Kenyatta National Hospital Newsline
that unfortunately often separated parents from their preterm babies in the neonatal unit, with detrimental consequences for babies and parents alike. In addition to the health challenges experienced by the newborns, separation of parents from their babies contributes to severe and long-term health and developmental issues in newborns and also affects parents’ mental health in lasting ways. With the theme: “Zero Separation. Act now! Keep parents and babies born too soon together”, this year’s World Prematurity Day is an opportunity to advocate for awareness on preterm births. Speaking during the WPD celebrations, KNH Senior Director Clinical Services- Dr. Irene Inwani said,” Even without the additional risks of a global pandemic, preterm babies are among the most vulnerable patients worldwide and, as studies have shown time and again, they need their parents by their side. KNH focuses on balancing the needs of babies born too soon, too small, or too sick and their families with the requirements to keep them healthy.”
PHOTO | NICHOLAS WAMALWA (Top photo) KNH Paediatrician- Dr. Brenda Obondo demonstrates the benefits of CPAP to guests during the World Prematurity Day celebrations PHOTO | NICHOLAS WAMALWA SDCS Dr. Irene Inwani cuts a cake to grace the World Prematurity Day.
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Comic Zone Laughter, the best medicine!! A man walks into a brain store to buy a new brain He goes to the clerk and says: “Hello, I’d like to purchase a new brain”. The clerk replies with “Sure, here are some of our brains we have on sale” “Here’s the brain of a physicist, 5 dollars.” “Here’s our second deal for today. The brain of an anti-vaxxer, 10,000 dollars”. The man, completely confused, asks “Why is the brain of an antivaxxer more expensive than of a physicist?” “Because it’s never been used” The clerk replies.
PHOTO | eatliver.com
A mathematician comes home at three in the morning. His wife has been waiting for him and says angrily, “You’re late. You said you’d be home at 11:45!” “Actually,” the mathematician replies, “I said I’d be home at a quarter of 12.”
Inspirational Quotes When we do the best we can, we never know what miracle is wrought in our life or the life of another.” — Helen Keller “The healthiest response to life is joy.” — Deepak Chopra
OUR VISION A world class patient-centered specialized care hospital OUR MISSION To optimize patient experience through innovative healthcare; facilitate training and research; and participate in national health policy formulation OUR MOTTO We Listen, We Care
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ISSUE 24 | Kenyatta National Hospital Newsline
“Life is like a coin. You can spend it any way you wish, but you only spend it once.” — Lillian Dickson “The best portion of a good man’s life is his little nameless, unencumbered acts of kindness and love.” — Wordsworth “In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: It goes on.” — Robert Frost Life is ten percent what happens to you and ninety percent how you respond to it.” — Charles Swindoll “Keep calm and carry on.” — Winston Churchill
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