3/12/2021
Transplant Immunology: Innovation at its best Kenyatta National Hospital is a world-class patient-centered specialized care hospital. By Kilivwa Mukaya
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ts primary mission is to optimize patient experience through innovative, evidencebased specialized healthcare, facilitate training and research, and participate in national health policy formulation. In line with our mission of improving our services through innovation, the department of Laboratory Medicine, on the realization that molecular medicine was shaping up as an important technological advancement in diagnostic services, endeavored to keep pace with the emerging trend. Among the training opportunities projected in the departmental annual training projection of FY 2010/2011, was Molecular Medicine. One staff member Kilivwa J S Mukaya secured an opportunity to pursue a Master of Science degree in Molecular Medicine. This opened the avenue towards achieving the intended goal by the department. Molecular medicine is a broad field, where physical, chemical, biological, bioinformatics, and medical techniques are used to describe molecular structures and mechanisms, identify fundamental molecular and genetic errors of disease, and develop molecular interventions to correct them. The molecular medicine perspective emphasizes cellular and molecular phenomena and interventions rather than the previous conceptual and observational focus on patients and their organs. In 2012, the Renal Team under the late Dr. Antony Were, who was then the Head of Renal Unit, was faced with the challenge of establishing HLA Tissue Typing services. This was a big issue because all patients projected for Kidney Transplantation could not access these services locally. All the compatibility tests were referred either to South Africa or India. This
PHOTO | COURTESY Installed LUMINEX Fluoroanalyzer for HLA Tissue Typing
PHOTO | COURTESY Mr. Alphonce Kioko, validating HLA typing assay using the LUMINEX fluoroanalyzer machine
process delayed interventional time. It also increased the cost of carrying out this transplantation procedure. The cost of putting up and equipping a Transplant Immunology laboratory is prohibitive. Furthermore, this concept was new in the country and Africa as a whole, save for South Africa and part of North Africa. Proposals were done for funding through Private Public Partnership (PPP) without success. In 2015, the Africa Development Bank in partnership with the East African governments embarked on the establishment of Centres of excellence in East Africa.
ISSUE 25 | Kenyatta National Hospital Newsline
Kenya was picked to host the East Africa Kidney Institute (EAKI). This came as a blessing to the aspiration and desire to have a Transplant Immunology Laboratory within our locality. As per the plan, the current Renal Unit would be improved to offer specialized services as well as train on behalf of EAKI. Part of the funds released for batch one equipment was used to procure LUMINEX machine, a critical equipment in HLA Tissue Typing analysis. Mr. Alphonce Kioko, validating HLA typing assay using the LUMINEX fluoroanalyzer machine. A further request was made to
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