Last week, I led a group of doctors from Canada, Japan, Singapore and India under the Kibos International Health Foundation on a tour of Kenya.
During the tour of Kisii and Trans Nzoia Countries, we resolved to work with the two countries’ governments on how to improve healthcare service delivery.
The doctors who accompanied me were; Professor Teresa Kieser: Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgeon, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Canada, Professor Hiroshi Niinami: Cardiothoracic Surgeon, Chairman, The Heart Institute of Japan, Tokyo Women’s Medical University, Japan, Associate Professor Mazakazu Nakao: Paediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery, Cardiothoracic Surgery National Heart Centre Singapore, Singapore National University, Singapore, Professor Craig S. McLachlan: Director for Health Research, Torrens University Australia, Australia, Dr. Yuki Ichihara: Cardiothoracic Surgery/consultant, The Heart Institute of Japan, Tokyo Women’s Medical University, Japan, Professor Anthony Pais: Oncoplastic Breast Surgeon, Max Hospital Bathinda Punjab India Narayana Hrudayalaya Health City St. John’s National Academy of Medical Sciences, Bangalore, Examiner for Fellowship in Breast Diseases, Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Bangalore, India, Dr. Rohit Mody: Director of Department, Senior Cardiac Interventionist, Max Hospital Bathinda Punjab, India among others.
We begun our tour of Kisii County where we held talks with the management of Kisii University led by Vice Chancellor Nathan Ogechi on possible ways of collaboration in addressing the problem of cardiovascular diseases.
My team also held talks with Kisii Governor Simba Arati and his medical team in the county at his rural home in Kisii.
We later engaged in humanitarian mission work at the Nyanchwa Mission Hospital before making extensive tour of Kisii Teaching and Referral Hospital.
Our foundation also donated a portable high resolution Echocardiogram machine to Kisii Teaching and Referral Hospital that will relieve patients suffering from heart conditions.
The focus of our foundation is to increase primary care outreach to rural Africa.
This can be achieved through improved health care services with well-trained and interconnected cardiovascular workforce through provision of a central cardiovascular simulation, training and education Centre.
Governor Arati appreciated our team of doctors who have a rich experience in the treatment and management of cardiovascular and cancer diseases.
Our deliberations resulted in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Kisii County Government through KTRH, the Kisii University and our foundation in addressing cardiovascular diseases and cancer.
Prof Kieser noted that heart diseases are a major cause of many deaths among all categories of people worldwide.
During her interaction with patients at the Nyanchwa Mission Hospital, in the course of our humanitarian medical work, she observed that hospitals do not have basic medical equipment to prevent, diagnose, monitor and treat diseases.
While in Trans-Nzoia County, Governor George Natembeya hosted us and pledged a partnership to promote healthcare services on cardiovascular diseases.
The Governor who spoke at the County headquarters in Kitale assured us of his commitment to partnering with our organization to improve healthcare services.
We also held talks with the Governor and his senior team of medical personnel including Trans Nzoia CEC of Health among other officers.
My team later engaged doctors, clinicians and other medical personnel in a one day sensitization training on oncology and different types of cancer through the latest technology at the Kijana Wamalwa Memorial centre, formely Kitale Referral Hospital.