KNH NEWSLINE ED 4 2021

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NEWSLINE We Listen, We Care

Issue 4.

26/02/2021

Bringing Healthcare to Rural Communities

Laisamis MP Hon. Arbelle Marselino (left) looking on as KNH Sr. Nursing Officer Stella Githaiga administers a Tetanus Vaccine

A clinical team from Kenyatta National Hospital spent time in Korr, Kargi, and Tubcha villages in Laisamis Constituency, Marsabit County offering healthcare support for boys going through traditional circumcision. This is part of a series of outreaches KNH is taking part in to ensure access to specialized healthcare.

By Linnette Leyi

M

arsabit is the largest County in Kenya and is home to a little over 450,000 people

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according to the National 2019 Census.

The harsh climatic and natural conditions in vast parts of the county located in the northern section of Kenya has led to recurrent drought,

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famine, and food insecurity. It is one of the driest counties in Kenya.

Healthwise, the county only has 623 health personnel of different cadres spread across the 106 available health

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There is just one specialist doctor in the whole county. Access to health services is affected by long distances from facilities, socio-cultural religious practices, some of which are harmful – largely affecting the health-seeking behavior and leading to poor demand for services.

This year the Rendille community, one of the tribes inhabiting the region, conducted traditional mass circumcision ceremonies which take place every fourteen years for the males.

The Rendille follow an age-set system, and after the initiation into adulthood, they become ‘warriors’ and fulfill the role of protecting the livestock and the tribe.

The circumcision takes place in batches with specific villages/ “manyattas” conducting the exercise on specific dates.

Before then, the boys are taken to the forest in preparation for the big day. They eat a lot of meat to ‘strengthen’ their bodies for the cut.

Elders from a particular “manyatta” are designated to perform the cut, a skill which they hand down to their sons and future generations.

The community shares a belief that this skill is handed to those elders

by God; even without training or experience.

This harmful belief has led to complications during the process.

“Some of the initiators recognize when they accidentally cut a vein in the process, after which they flee. Most of them just do this job for the money,” said Suleiman, a local, to Newsline.

“Each boy pays KSh. 2,000. Today 100 boys were circumcised, so the initiator made KSh. 200,000,” he added.

After circumcision, the boys stay in the manyattas for thirty days during which they drink camel milk and blood to help them heal.

Water is strictly forbidden, as they believe that it hinders the process of recovery. Women and girls are also not allowed to see or talk to them.

As a result of poor hygiene and untrained and unsupervised circumcision, there are several reports of boys suffering from tetanus and wound infections, severe bleeding, and even death.

In the time of the previous circumcision season in 2007, locals recall the incident of a boy who had to be airlifted to Kenyatta National Hospital after a botched cut.

He was suffering from hemophilia but due to cultural beliefs, he could not get circumcised in a hospital. Luckily, he survived the terrible ordeal.

Gerald Muriithi-Nursing Officer from KNH Othaya vaccinating one of the initiates

KNH staff during the exercise at Kargi Village in Laisamis alongside a community health aid (Left)

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A clinical team from Kenyatta National Hospital spent time in Korr, Kargi, and Tubcha villages in Laisamis Constituency offering tetanus vaccination, post-circumcision care, first aid services for any circumcisionrelated emergencies, wound infection treatment, and sensitization on hygiene and wound care.

The team led by Mrs. Juliana Tisnanga-Director Clinical Services KNH Othaya and with the guidance of Community Health Aids (CHAs) was able to reach 715 circumcised boys.

Apart from matters concerning circumcision, the group offered general consultation, screening for blood pressure and blood sugar, eyecare, Intravenous fluid hydration, and referral to Marsabit County Hospital for further management.

“It was a great experience, especially more so we gave service to humanity.

Sometimes as a public servant, you have to leave your comfort zone and go out there, and serve the less fortunate. It was an honour to have been part of this great team,” said Tisnanga.

Area MP Hon. Arabelle Malimo appreciated the team citing that without this help, many of the initiates would have developed complications as witnessed in previous circumcision ceremonies.

“In the future, we hope to have a more sustainable solution for the problems that arise during circumcision. Despite the challenges and the short notice the team has faced, we are glad they made it to assist our community,” he said.

Walter Gwaro, a Nursing Officer from KNH Othaya on the other hand summarized his experience during the outreach as humbling.

“The everyday work life of most other teams is based on rules and procedures and instructions. Ours was based on focused commitment, cooperation and support,” he said.

Though the exercise was a success, the team was faced with challenges of language barrier, large physical distances between the villages, dangerous cultural beliefs, poor uptake of health and hygiene measures, and slow referral of patients to the hospital.

Henceforward, it will be necessary to conduct another outreach in the region to majorly screen for NonCommunicable Diseases (NCDs), anemia, Urinary Tract Infections (UTI), and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) among others.

Through the National Government’s UHC Agenda and the KNH UHC Department, it will be essential to build and strengthen the capacity of healthcare workers in the county.

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PSs’ give thumbs up to KNH-Othaya Development Projects

By Julius Ita & Vincent Mutua Five permanent secretaries have given a thumbs up to the development projects being constructed at KNHOthaya.

The five, who were hosted at the hospital by Chief Executive Dr Evanson Kamuri, however, called for the speedy conclusion of the projects expected to be commissioned by President Uhuru Kenyatta when completed.

The PS’s who toured the hospital on Thursday are part of the National Development Implementation & Communication Cabinet Committee appraisal team.

They also toured other development projects in Nyeri county.

While addressing the media Water P.S Mr. Joseph Irungu who chairs the appraisal team said; “Today we are here to inspect the progress of the national government projects in Nyeri county, and we are very impressed with the progress we have seen at Kenyatta National Hospital Othaya”.

He added: “This is one of the flagship projects of his Excellency the President, and we want it completed quickly ready for commissioning.”

Dr. Kamuri on his part pledged to ensure that the projects are completed as soon as possible.

“All factors considered our target is to have all the projects completed and equipped by end of April ready for commissioning”, Dr Kamuri said.

While acknowledging the impact of these flagship projects, Dr. Kamuri also noted that these facilities will be the first of their kind in the region and

The National Development Implementation & Communication Cabinet Committee Appraisal team with knh CEO & the KNH during the hospital tour on Thursday 25/02/21 will adequately be able to serve KNH -Othaya and the region at large.

“Some of the projects coming up are a first of their kind in this region for instance the oxygen plant that will generate enough oxygen for the hospital and more so for sale to other health facilities in the region”, he added.

On their part, the appraisal team expressed the government’s commitment in ensuring that the facility receives the necessary support to facilitate their progress. “This is the regional center of excellence that we have as a government, a place where we have integrated management of services, and very soon we will be adding additional radiotherapy machines to boost the already existing services being offered so that the

Health PS Ms. Susan Mochache & Water PS Mr. Joseph Irungu getting a tour of KNH Othaya ICU unit by KNH CEO Dr. Evanson Kamuri

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hospital becomes an all-round cancer management centre”, Said Health P.S Ms’ Susan Mochahe. She added: “What KNH-Othaya has done is to ensure people are able to get quality services without going to Nairobi, which is our goal, to make this region fully sufficient in addressing issues of health care.”

Representing the local leadership, the area Member of Parliament Hon. Gichuki Mugambi said “There is a lot of progress at the hospital, from staffing to equipping the facility . We thank the Government and especially more so our President for supporting us through and through. We are also grateful to the KNH-Othaya Management, for we gave them a shell and today they have given us a running hospital.”

KNH CEO Dr.Evanson Kamuri giving the NDICCC appraisal team a site visit of the ongoing projects at KNH Othaya, during their tour of projects under the National Government Initiative in Nyeri County.

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185 benefit from free Urological Surgery Camp in Kitui County

By Luke Kung’u Waking up in the morning with an urge to pee and heading to the urinals may pass as a normal thing to many of us.

However, many conditions may lead to such a simple task being monstrous and a lot of resources put forward to help one do so.

Any condition that affects the free flow of urine rings a bell that something is not right.

Attention is then needed to alleviate the problem regardless of one’s social status, ranking, or economic power.

Meet Mr. Mukonza Malonda Ndana a 77-year-old resident of Kitui County, who would pass for a normal mzee (octogenarian) in his village, but the jovial and outspoken man has been suffering silently.

Since 2017, he has been in and out of hospitals spending a lot of money and other resources seeking medical services for a condition that bedevils many men, who shy away from even mentioning it to anyone.

The inability to pass urine commonly known as urine incontinence has seen him hop from one hospital to another. Eight catheters have been inserted in the process and have all, unfortunately, failed each time.

This made his life path a difficult one since even being in a gathering with men or country-folk would be an uphill task. Men visit the urinals/the bushes often but for him, he visits the toilet to empty the urine bag. How then could he let everyone around him know of his predicament?

‘I must say that I have suffered. I had lost hope and resigned to fate but a friend informed me of the free urological camp in Kitui and especially The Jordan hospital. I was worried if I could make it since I hardly knew the place and had already depleted my financial resources,” he tells Newsline.

“That friend brought me to the hospital and I was enrolled for the surgery. Isingekuwa ni hawa madaktari ningengojea kifo tu.

Hawajanilipisha chochote na daima nitawashukuru na kuwaombea kwa Mungu awazidishie rehema zake (If it wasn’t for these doctors all I would be waiting for is my death. I have not been charged anything for the treatment. I’d like to wish them

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Surgeons in action during surgery on a patient at the medical camp in Kitui God’s blessings),’ Said Mr. Ndana.

Mr. Ndana’s story reverberates across the country where prostate enlargement is spoken in low tones but suffering heavily and silently.

Many have passed on due to the stigma associated with prostate enlargement terming it as a curse running in specific families, and the exorbitant amounts of money charged for the same in hospital setups.

Normal surgery for the condition runs into hundreds of thousands leaving a majority of men at the mercy of fate and shame.

Dr. James Ikol, a renowned urologist working in Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) and the current National Secretary of Kenya Association of Urological Surgeons (KAUS), indicates that there are many conditions and deformities that ail the male reproductive system, and that it is a requirement to deal with them right from the village setup; both to the young and old.

To this far little is known regarding male system disorders. Urology, being the study of kidney, ureter, bladder, prostate, and genitals has eased the burden, and as such, there needs to be spirited campaigns in all counties and nationally to salvage the boy child.

No disease or disorder is for specific

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people/runs in families although in some instances there are hereditary factors that can be associated with it.

Anyone with a family history of the condition needs to have regular screening to avoid full-blown cases of say prostate cancer that could be arrested earlier.

Advanced scientific research has brought about developed modern state-of-the-art equipment that is minimally invasive (endoscopic) but having high clinical outcomes.

Under the KAUS umbrella body, urologists drawn from various hospitals, as part of their CSR activity, hold a yearly medical camp towards the end of February and attend to needy cases that would otherwise have not afforded the services.

The body reaches out to society through clinical officers in county hospitals and comes up with data of all cases that are then booked for the free surgical procedures.

Dr. Ikol urges all those who experience any condition related to urology to reach out to urologists in health facilities near them or through KAUS website www.kaus.or.ke, e-mail: info@mmskenya.co.ke, info@ kaus.or.ke, Cell: +254-726 830 732, P.O. Box 30270-00100, Nairobi, Kenya.

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A day in the life of an ENT Surgeon Why you need to watch what your children are playing with.

By Ngure Jacqueline

Dr. Joseph Kamau examines a patient in KNH

You may have encountered stories of people getting foreign objects accidentally lodged into various parts of their bodies.

Worst still, you may have found yourself in the emergency room after accidentally swallowing a fishbone when enjoying a sumptuous meal of Fish and Ugali.

Well for the clinical teams at Kenyatta National Hospital, these are not stories, but situations they have to deal with every single day.

The discomfort, fear, and anxiety that come with having something foreign lodged in your body is scary to imagine, let alone experience.

Newsline interviewed Dr. Joseph Kamau, the head of Ear, Nose, watch batteries have been and Throat (ENT), a specialized identified as some of the department within the hospital to most dangerous objects understand and appreciate the to be lodged into an amazing work his dedicated team individual’s body because is doing every day. they emit a charge which Children between the ages of can for instance, cause 1-7 years, he says are his most inflammation and perforation common clients. to the lining of the nose, “They are usually brought when inserted there. to us with foreign bodies This, he says, that present themselves could cause in all shapes, forms, even more and manner including complications as sponge, papers, the patient may food particles such have to undergo as beans, small s u r g i c a l toys, animate procedures to objects such as correct. cockroaches, and Some of the tiny button these objects batteries found in also get stuck watches,” he tells in the airway, Newsline. from your “These objects throat to the are readily bronchus, available around and these the child’s are mostly environment. It t h r o u g h is therefore easy ingestion. The for the children to most common pick and put them in this category in their mouth, ear, being coins, food or nose especially when particles, and the they are playing. These button battery. objects end up getting Dr. Joseph Kamau, Depending on the the head of Ear, stuck creating crises,” he type of foreign body Nose, and Throat goes on. and how far inside (ENT) Department According to Dr. Kamau, it is lodged, the ENT

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specialists will either extract it at the clinic or take the patient to the theatre for surgery.

The extraction requires skill and expertise as well as specialized equipment which the team at the ENT department has and boasts of being the best in the region.

They work round the clock to ensure that every patient who comes to them with a foreign body gets the expert attention they deserve and go home happy.

Adult patients received in the ENT clinic with foreign bodies are mostly people of unsound mind or the elderly who have accidentally swallowed their dentures.

In some instances, though rare, children can put objects in their parents’ ear or nose while they are sleeping and they end up at the clinic.

The youngest patient Dr. Kamau remembers encountering was a six months old infant, who was referred from Machakos County with a razor blade stuck in her Uvula, (a teardropshaped piece of soft tissue hanging down the back of the throat) when an attempt to remove it traditionally went wrong.

Dr. Kamau has also encountered what you would describe as bizarre foreign bodies, like a young man who came with a tap lodged right across his throat. Crazy?? Yes, I know. But that is just the day in the life of an ENT Surgeon.

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Saving Lives Through Sign Language

By Melody Ajiambo Communication involves at least one sender, a message, and a recipient.

This may sound simple, but communication is a very complex subject especially when dealing with a deaf person.

The deaf can be described as people who, for one reason or another, have lost their auditory faculty and thus cannot use the audio-based symbolic system (mainly the voice) to communicate.

Their language is completely visualbased, commonly known as sign language. The Kenyan Sign Language (KSL) is not widely used because it’s a minority language, creating difficulty in communication among peers, colleagues, and even families.

In hospitals, it is critical for a doctor and a patient to effectively communicate because, in case of a communication breakdown, chances of misdiagnosis are high.

Majority of deaf people have a hard time accessing proper medical care due to the language barrier. That is the daily struggle between doctors and deaf patients; the language barrier hinders effective communication, hence the need for sign language interpreters.

Sophia Marigi Githuka is a senior nurse in the ENT Department at Kenyatta National Hospital.

When you first meet her, what strikes you is her friendly personality and polite demeanor, but that is not the only special thing about her.

If you stick around long enough, you will notice her communicating with the deaf patients using the Kenyan sign language.

During an interview with Newsline, Ms. Sophia explained how she often felt sorry for her deaf colleague, who would miss out on social interactions with others during breaks.

“I could see that he did not understand what we were talking about, and sometimes when we laughed, it seemed like we were laughing at him,” she adds.

So, when the opportunity to learn sign language came, she did not hesitate to volunteer for the program.

In 2012, the government of Kenya recruited several health care providers across the country and trained them in sign language at the University of Nairobi.

This special program, which was under the department of linguistics, was aimed at improving communication between deaf patients and health care

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providers.

Once she was done with training, Ms. Sophia came back equipped with the necessary skills to communicate with her colleague.

As we know it, deaf people are often overlooked by people in society because their disability is invisible to the eye.

Moreover, many Kenyans lack basic knowledge of sign language making it hard to communicate with the deaf who are a minority group in the country.

In hospitals, the language barrier between health care providers and deaf patients may strain communication resulting in frustrations.

Ms. Sophia highlights that a patient can give up and go home without getting the necessary medical attention when they feel frustrated or ignored. There is therefore a need for more sign language interpreters within the hospital.

“Passion for the language is key, then practice and consistency. When more employees develop an interest in sign language, patients will not be stuck in one area waiting for a specific interpreter to help them out.” she adds.

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At the ENT department, you expect to see many deaf patients, especially because of the hearing tests conducted there.

Staff members are usually busy, and the knowledge of sign language is an added advantage. One of the most popular methods for hearing tests is the Brain Evoked Response Audiology (B.E.R.A).

This objective neurophysiological method for the evaluation of hearing is considered to be non-invasive and safe for children.

Most of the patients who seek this particular service are referrals from doctors and deaf people seeking tax exemptions. Daily Ms. Sophia interprets for at least 3 deaf people in her department only.

Though it gives her a level of gratification to interpret for several patients in a day, Ms. Sophia admits the work comes with challenges.

“When you interpret for a patient, you have to follow them through their entire process of getting medical attention. This is quite tedious because we still have our duties to attend to,” She explains.

“Sign language is very interesting.

Everyone should have a basic knowledge of the language. If we achieve this, no patient will ever be stranded. When I interpret , I go home feeling good knowing that I helped someone access proper medical care at KNH.” concludes Sophia Indeed, at KNH we Listen and Care even for those who cannot hear.

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A Gifted Champion in Restoring Women’s Dignity

By Winfred Gumbo The World Health Organization describes obstetric fistula as a medical condition in which a hole develops in the birth canal as a result of childbirth between the vagina and rectum, ureter, or bladder.

This, more often than not, can result in incontinence of urine or feaces.

Due to this, the women suffering from obstetric fistula are unable to attend to their daily duties and end up living very fragile lives.

At Kenyatta National Hospital, Dr. Khisa Wakasiaka, a specialized obstetrician, gynecologist, and fistula surgeon has played a huge role in making sure that women suffering from fistula complications successfully regain their dignity.

“Fistula surgery restores women’s dignity thus it is giving back life.” Says Dr. Wakasiaka in an interview with Newsline.

“I hope that eventually, everybody will call it giving back life since it helps bring back self-esteem,” he continues.

A closer look at Dr. Wakasiaka’s face displays the optimism and the joy he gets at the mention of the word fistula.

“My passion for fistula surgery started over 20 years ago when I saw the gap in our clinic,” he explains.

“Most women could wait for a long time to get bookings for surgery thus I felt there was a need to bridge the gap,” he says.

“The department was too busy with little staff since it had just been set up. I had completed my postgraduate studies and joined the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department; I felt the need to help since we had a visiting doctor who could not be there all the time whenever patients needed emergency care.”

The medic explains that after a visit to the wards, he pleaded with the visiting doctor to let him operate on a patient.

“The fact that the surgery was successful encouraged me to push even harder, knowing too well that I was in a position to help women,” he goes on.

“My epitome of joy is when I operate on a woman and the next day I find that she has managed to take a bath and has managed to groom herself without complications, ” he adds.

While treating the women, Dr. Wakasiaka says he sadly discovers that the majority of them have been rejected by close family members and

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some have even been divorced by their spouses because of their condition.

“Due to this rejection, the women suffer in silence,” he says.

Dr. Wakasiaka together with a team of specialists including nurses, anesthetists, physiotherapists, social workers, and counselors have resorted to aggressively de-stigmatize fistula to the public through Vesicovaginal fistula (VVF) camps carried out in various parts of Kenya.

This, he says, has helped him reach several people by providing service wherever they are. The women, he says, do not have to travel for a long distance to seek service.

“These camps have helped create awareness to the public to help them understand what fistula is,” says Dr. Wakasiaka.

“Immediately we get to the camps, I have to review the women and identify the ones who need surgery from the ones who need medication. By the end of the day, we find that we have operated around ten women; it is quite a tiresome experience,” he says.

“However, it is because of these camps that I have been part of positive stories. I have learned that giving hope and care is important to the person you are looking after.

Additionally, there is freedom in giving good care to someone without expecting anything in return. Going back home after surgery gives me fulfillment.” Dr. Wakasiaka affirms.

Dr. Wakasiaka has worked with The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) in partnership with Fistula Foundation Kenya to run the Action on Fistula program which provided free surgeries to 1,200 women, provided training, capacity building, and mentorship programs to expand the pool of surgeons in Kenya who can treat obstetric fistula, and established a network of facilities that can share resources and more quickly refer patients to treatment with the shortest waiting period possible.

“Moreover, I have given talks to the Diplomatic Women’s Club and Flying Doctors Society. After this, the women were excited that they raised money to help women pay for their

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medication.

The money raised sponsored six hundred women who all underwent surgery successfully” he says.

It is because of this determination to see women free from suffering that Dr. Wakasiaka has received several awards both locally and internationally.

“The first prize I got was from the fistula surgeons in Uganda. This is after I had worked and trained several of them about fistula surgery. Thereafter, I have received recognition from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Rotarian Clubs in Nairobi, Kenyatta National Hospital, Harvard School of Public Health, and most recently University of Manchester, not to mention FIGO. I dedicate all of the awards to the women who came out to get service,” says Dr. Wakasiaka.

Dr. Wakasiaka hopes that before he retires, he will have built a unit that will help the women so that they access the service immediately and rejoin their communities and spouses without fear. He also advocates for women’s empowerment.

“Women must be empowered with knowledge and resources to make decisions that enhance their health.

Empowered women will help others ambassadors to fight for more women,” he says.

“My message to women is there is hope around the country and the world, they should seek for care immediately when they need it,” he concludes.

Dr. Khisa Wakasiaka, a specialized obstetrician, gynecologist, and fistula surgeon

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World International Pediatric Cancer Day Childhood Cancer Explained By: Yvonne Gichuru International Pediatric Cancer Day is a global collaborative campaign to raise awareness about childhood cancer, and to express support for children and adolescents with cancer, the survivors and their families.

The day promotes increased appreciation and deeper understanding of issues and challenges relevant to childhood cancer and impacting on children & adolescents with cancer, the survivors, their families and the society as a whole.

Every year, more than 400,000 children and adolescents below 20, are diagnosed with cancer. The rate of survival depends on the region, with 80% survival in high income countries but as low as 20% only in low and middle income countries.

The target goal of the WHO Global Childhood Cancer Initiative is to eliminate all pain and suffering of children fighting cancer and achieve at least 60% survival for all children diagnosed with cancer around the world by 2030. This represents an approximate doubling of the current cure rate and will save an additional one million childrens’ lives over the next decade.

According to Dr. Irene Nzamu – Pediatric Hemato Oncologist, KNH some of the signs of cancer in a child include persistent fever, fatigue, bleeding, easy bruising, weight loss, bone or joint pains, swelling in a body part (e.g. neck, arm pits, groin, abdomen, limbs, eyes), recurrent infections, headache, vomiting, poor vision, altered speech, convulsions or weakness on one side of the body.

“Although the cause of most childhood cancers remains unknown, some childhood cancers are preventable by vaccination e.g. liver cancer in children can be prevented by hepatitis B & C vaccination.

Early identification & treatment of viral infections, maintaining a healthy balanced diet, maintaining a robust immune system and avoiding toxic exposures can prevent some childhood cancers,” she adds.

The risk of childhood cancer is increased

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by some congenital predisposing conditions, familial or genetic predisposition to cancers, immunodeficiencies, viral infections, toxic exposures, radiation therapy and previous chemotherapy effects among others.

Ms. Beatrice Amadi - Senior Nursing Officer, Pediatric Oncology Ward 1E says that the role she mainly plays in the Ward is to ensure continuous care and management of the children.

“They need a lot of support considering the fact that they are children living without their parents.

We ensure they are taken care of psychologically, physically, and also coordinate the care between both the family and the children in the Ward.”

Pediatric cancer patients face some challenges that are different from adults. These include: lack of understanding or inability to communicate among the younger children suffering from cancer, leading to psychological stress and mental anguish among pediatric cancer patients. Their immune systems are not fully developed especially in younger patients. They also suffer chemotherapy side effects, miss out on their education and some therapies like radiation therapy affect their growth and development. Some children with cancer are discriminated against by their communities & families due to lack of knowledge as well.

Mr. Derrick Mwenda, a Patient Porter, Pediatric Oncology Department shares his experience with handling the children at Ward 1E. “I love children, I feel like they’re a part of me. I also enjoy the things they do since it reminds me of myself when I was young,” he says.

He also adds that sometimes when the children get emotional and start crying it can be hard to comfort them and this weighs in on him.

Ms Amadi points out that, “To the families, we take steps to walk with the family as

Mr.Derrick Mwenda, - Patient Porter, Pediatric Oncology Department spending time with some of the children at ward 1E. much as we can. We have set aside Thursdays specifically for families to come in so they can be walked through the process of the illness. This tries to treat the psychological part and they get to understand what is happening with their children.”

She adds that once a child separates from the family there is a gap left in the family. It puts a lot of strain in terms of finances and psychological effects; whereby the other siblings are not in a position to understand what is happening.

“We give maximum support to ensure the child is comfortable. I also involve the family especially when the child is in dire need of support. Clinically, the child is totally covered for the problem the child is having including pain relief and nutritional support.”

However, according to Dr. Nzamu, most pediatric cancers are curable especially when detected early.

“With best modern diagnostics and therapies, more than 80% are curable.

Nevertheless, when patients present late, with advanced stage disease, the chances of cure are minimal.”

“Childhood cancer is curable; we need a high index of suspicion in the community and among health care workers, so that these children are referred early to maximize their chances of cure. More awareness campaigns are necessary. We choose hope as these children are our future,” she concludes.

Dr. Irene Nzamu – Pediatric Hemato Oncologist, KNH.

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KNH to partner with County Referral Hospitals through Telemedicine

By Winfred Gumbo

Kenyatta National Hospital has reaffirmed its commitment to support specialized healthcare by partnering with county referral hospitals through Telemedicine.

Towards this, Huawei, a leading global provider of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure and smart devices, is facilitating the Telemedicine linkage between Isiolo Referral Hospital, KNH – Othaya, and the main hospital.

In this arrangement, KNH has adopted the Hub and Spoke model, positioning itself as a central hub for telemedicine with county referral hospital plugin as Spokes.

The Hub and Spoke model entails the arrangement of service delivery assets into a network consisting of an anchor establishment (hub) which offers a full array of services, complemented by secondary establishments (spokes) that offer more limited service arrays, routing patients needing more intensive services to the hub for treatment.

When successfully implemented in counties, the model will enhance access to quality specialized health care services at affordable rates, thus driving the realization of Universal Health Coverage.

Speaking at a workshop held at Kenyatta National Hospital, Planning, and Strategy Director Mr. Job Makanga said the hospital had already rolled out Telemedicine with Machakos County and is looking forward to partnering with other county governments.

“The main reason for Telemedicine

is to help patients by reducing the cost of travel to KNH while they can get the same service in the counties. This will help strengthen referral systems and enhance capacity building for various healthcare workers. Said Mr. Makanga.

The workshop was also attended by representatives from the Ministry of Health, Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital, Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, Kenya Medical Training College, Kenya Medical Association, Kenya Association of Private Hospitals, Isiolo County Department of Health, National Hospital Insurance Fund, Huawei, and Com 21 Limited.

Dr. Joseph Sitienei, Head of ICT Department, Ministry of Health said the Ministry is working on a migration of Health Information Systems to an electronic version which will help with paperless storage of files.

Various stakeholders were asked to come together to ensure the availability of resources for various facilities to successfully practice Telemedicine.

Mr. Job Makanga , Director Planning and Strategy making a presentation during the Telemedicine workshop. Next to him is Dr. Amina Guleid, HoU UHC & Medical Outreaches.

Members listening to an ongoing presentation during the Telemedicine workshop

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The launch of KNH Othaya Immunization Unit

Director Clinical Services KNH-Othaya Ms. Juliana Tisnanga leading the launch of the immunisation centre at the facility

By Chris Mwiti As a parent, you want to give the best to your children.

Nanny Check! Car seat Check! baby gate Check! Just to mention a few.

But, did you know that the best way to protect your children is to make sure they have received their annual immunization?

Immunization is a simple and effective way of protecting children from serious diseases.

It not only help protect individuals; it also protects the broader community by minimizing the spread of diseases.

Vaccination protects children from diseases that can include, amputation of limbs, paralysis, hearing loss, brain damage, and even death.

February 2, 2021, marked a new dawn at KNH-Othaya, as the hospital launched the vaccination/ immunization unit.

The first immunization procedure was done by the hospital’s Director of Clinical Services Ms. Juliana Tisnanga, who acknowledges the good job the team was doing.

“In our quest to becoming a center of excellence, coming up with new services for our clients is key. There was a huge demand for vaccines and immunizations and it was a matter of time before we launched this service to the public,” Ms. Tisnanga says.

At KNH-Othaya, we are currently offering immunization services from Monday to Friday starting from 8 am to 2 pm.

We are also in the process of introducing baby-friendly vaccines together with traveling vaccines accompanied by a certificate.

We encourage patients to take up this service as it will go a long way in improving the health status of our community at large.

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@CeoKnh @KNH_hospital

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OUR STORY IN PICTURES

Officials from the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC) and College of Surgeons of East, Central and Southern Africa (COSECSA) during an inspection of KNH as a COSECSA training centre.

Representatives from various institutions who took part in the Telemedicine workshop.

AIMBOT (TUMAINI) being tested at Accident and Emergency to detect temperature and disinfect the area.

Retirement party for Ms. Charity Mukami honouring her for the great work she has offered in KNH hospital.

KNH football team after a match against Nairobi water football club where they drew 1 - 1.

Fr. Michael Mathenge prays and hands out roses to patients in celebration of St. Valentines day at KNH-Othaya

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@CeoKnh @KNH_hospital

http://www.knh.or.ke

KNH poised to be a Surgical skills Centre in the Region

By Jacqueline Ngure Kenyatta National Hospital hosted officials from the Kenya Medical Practitioners & Dentists Council (KMPDC) and the College of Surgeons of East, Central & Southern Africa (COSECSA) for an inspection of the Hospital as a COSECSA training center.

Speaking after the inspection tour of KNH resource centers and skills laboratories, COSESCA President, Prof.

Pankaj G. Jani termed the facilities as well equipped and more than adequate to offer surgical specialty training in Urology, Neurosurgery, Pediatric Surgery, and Plastic Surgery.

Dr. Rose Nyabanda, who represented the Senior Director of Clinical Services, said that if granted the accreditation, it would be a great opportunity for KNH to take advantage of the facilities and wealth of knowledge to train specialists in the various surgical specialties for the Country locally.

This would be a major boost towards attaining Universal Health Coverage.

Dr. Kennedy Ondede - Director Surgical Services with Prof. Pankaj G. Jani in the ICT Telemedicine lab during the COSECSA inspection tour. Looking on is Dr. John Kinuthia and Dr. Momanyi At the moment KNH is only offering surgical skills training to the University of Nairobi, College of Health Sciences.

College of Surgeons of East, Central, & Southern Africa (COSECSA) is an

Inspirational Quotes “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”

– Thomas A. Edison “You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.”

— Mae West

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

“If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things.”

– Albert Einstein “Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.”

– Babe Ruth “Money and success don’t change people; they merely amplify what is already there.”

— Will Smith

independent body whose aim is to foster postgraduate education in Surgery and to harmonize Surgical Training throughout the region of East, Central, and Southern Africa.

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Kenyatta National Hospital Official Page

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To contribute or report on newsworthy items, please contact the Editorial team; Marketing & Communication Department Editorial Team: .Dave Opiyo, Hezekiel Gikambi.

Stories: Winfred Gumbo, Linnette Leyi, Yvonne Gichuru, Jacqueline Ngure, Melody Ajiambo, Luke Kung’u, Julius Ita , Vincent Mutua & Chris Mwiti.

Design By: Collins Cheruiyot Photos: Yvonne Gichuru, Nicholas Wamalwa & Luke Kung’u, Julius Ita & Vincent Mutua

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Tel: +254 20 2726300-9 Ext. 43121 or 43969 Fax: +254 20 272572 Email: caffairs@knh.or.ke knh.caffairs@gmail.com

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