The neurosurgical camp at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital that begins today promises to bring life-changing medical treatment to Kisumu and the Nyanza region.
Running from January 27 to February 3, 2025, the camp, organised by the Kisumu Neuroscience Initiative, will provide critical surgeries to patients suffering from complex neurological conditions.
This initiative is set to tackle the severe shortage of neurosurgical care in the region, offering hope to hundreds who would otherwise face a long wait for medical assistance.
For Caren Odhiambo from Siaya County, this camp represents hope for her child’s health. Odhiambo gave birth in July last year at Sirembe Dispensary.
Shortly after, she was transferred to Siaya County Referral Hospital, where doctors advised her to undergo a CT scan.
The results revealed that her child had a gap in the head, and the local doctors suggested she travels to Kisumu for further treatment.
“I was told that the CT scan I had done in Siaya was not clear and that I needed to do an MRI scan at JOORTH,” Odhiambo said.
“Three weeks later, I went back for the results. One of the doctors told me that my baby had a problem with vision and needed an operation.”
“He explained that the baby couldn’t see objects that were far and advised us to proceed with surgery.”
Odhiambo, who has been visiting hospitals since October 2024 in search of help, says her child is suffering from an abnormal buildup of fluid on one side of the head, with milk leaking from one nostril when breastfeeding.
“I know that by God’s grace, my baby will be healed,” she said. For 72-year-old William Onyango from Kisumu’s Kogony area, the upcoming camp offers an opportunity for treatment after a traumatic accident in 2021.
Onyango was hit by a vehicle, resulting in serious injuries that have since required multiple CT scans and MRIs. He has been struggling to afford the cost of treatment and hopes the camp will provide him with the surgery he needs.
“I’ve been coming here for treatment, but it’s expensive,” Onyango said. “I hope this camp will help me get the care I need.”
Neurosurgical cases are some of the most complex and costly medical procedures, often beyond the reach of many people in Nyanza.
Conditions such as brain tumors, spinal injuries and neurological disorders can leave patients in pain, immobile, or without any medical intervention, simply because of the high cost of surgeries and the shortage of specialists in the area.
This is particularly concerning in a region where there is only one consultant neurosurgeon serving the entire population, Dr Lee Ogutha.
According to JOORH head of surgeries Dr Edwin Oduor, the camp will allow over 40 patients receive life-saving surgery, providing a critical opportunity for those who have been waiting for long periods.
The initiative, he said, conducts quarterly neurosurgery camps, ensuring that patients can receive surgical treatment without long delays.
The goal is to make neurosurgery
a routine procedure in Kisumu, reducing the need for patients to travel
long distances or wait for months to
receive care.
