Story by Lorraine Opondo and Photos by Ondari Ogega, Ian Obadha The reality of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) performing open heart surgery is finally here with us. For years, patients in Western Kenya battling debilitating cardiac conditions faced a daunting choice: travel long distances in a frail state or face the...
Story by Lorraine Opondo and Photos by Ondari Ogega For many women in Western Kenya, the discovery of a breast lump was once the beginning of a gruelling, months-long journey of uncertainty. Previously, patients faced an average wait of eight weeks to receive a formal diagnosis, often arriving at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and...
Story by Lorraine Opondo and Photos by Ondari Ogega Imagine a healthcare facility where patients and medical staff no longer have to trek long distances between departments, and where critical, life-saving services are seamlessly consolidated into a single, high-efficiency space. This is the future of the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH). The...
Story by Faith Okech, Esther Akinyi and Photos by Lorraine Faith. A burn injury can leave lasting effects long after the wound has healed. Months or even years later, tightening scar tissue can restrict movement, making it difficult to straighten an arm, bend a finger or carry out everyday activities. At Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching...
Story by Mercy Chloe, Caroline Nyongesa and Philister Adhiambo and Photos by Ian Obadha When the tumour was finally discovered, it had already consumed nearly half of his upper jaw. It had spread dangerously close to his eye, threading its way towards the delicate tissues responsible for sight and speech. Eating had become almost impossible....
Story by Esther Adhiambo, Lynne Ayuma and Photos by Ondari Ogega “Why has the blood delayed yet my family members have already donated the blood?” Erick Ochieng’ asked in a worried voice, his family members nodding in agreement. Erick was scheduled to undergo a skin grafting procedure following severe injuries. However, what he viewed as...
Story by Jane Ondata, Nobel Faith and Photos by Esther Adhiambo When 40-year-old Milton Miera (not his real name) walks into the Medically Assisted Therapy (MAT) Clinic at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH), it is difficult to imagine that opioid addiction once consumed his life, leaving him in deteriorating health and separated...
Story by Evaline Akinyi and Photos by Ian Obadha “They told her she wouldn’t survive pregnancy. Others insisted her baby would never be born alive.” Today, 22-year-old Sylvia Otieno Atieno from Siaya County proudly cradles her healthy newborn, proving that sickle cell disease does not have to stand in the way of motherhood when met...
Story by Rachael Omondi, Joy Vallary, Elizabeth Sabinah and Photos by Lorraine Faith When one-year-old Miracle Maurice arrived at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH), he was unresponsive and struggling to breathe. Today, he can move his limbs, eat through his mouth, and continues to make remarkable progress toward recovery. His journey demonstrates...
Story by Dinah Akinyi and Faith Okech For an entire month, 26-year-old Lilian Achieng’ from Nyamasaria in Kisumu could only look at her newborn son from a distance. Her baby, born two months prematurely and weighing just 1,100 grams, was receiving specialised care in the nursery at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital’s (JOOTRH)...
