Story by Sherine Atieno and Photos by Ondari Ogega Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) has taken a historic step towards transforming child health outcomes in the Lake Region following the official groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at Obama Children’s...
Story by Lorraine Anyango and Photos by Ondari Ogega Expectant mothers seeking services at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching & Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) are seeing the life-saving impact of medical synergy and early diagnostic findings. The power of this collaborative approach is best seen in the case of 32-year-old Rose Atieno Owiti, a mama mboga...
Story by Sherine Atieno and Photos by Ian Obadha “Give preterm babies a strong start for a brighter future.” This global theme drove celebrations of the world prematurity day 2025 in Kisumu held at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH). Kenya’s neonatal mortality rate stands at 21 per 1,000 live births, with 37...
Story and photos by Ian Obadha Michael Ochieng, a 14-year-old sickle cell warrior, was recently the focus of the third apheresis case at Victoria Annex. Ochieng, the son of Pastor Jared Ndine, Michael has faced a series of medical challenges that would test the resolve of even the most seasoned individual. Born with Sickle Cell...
Story by Lorraine Anyango and photos by Ondari Ogega A landmark international study aiming to significantly reduce mortality among premature and undersized infants is set to begin enrolling participants in Kenya, with Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) confirmed as a key research site. The Probiotics in Preterm and Small for Gestational Age...
Story by Ian Obadha The arrival of a newborn is a time of unparalleled joy, but for Beatrice Choni, the birth of her son, James Talou, quickly turned into a journey of fear. Born via C-section on September 19, 2025, little James was a tiny fighter, but his joy was short-lived. He was born with...
Story and photos by Ian Obadha As Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Awareness Month drew to a close, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) celebrated the strength and resilience of premature and critically ill newborns, alongside the tireless efforts of their caregivers. The hospital marked the occasion by honoring mothers and the JOOTRH...
Story by Sherine Atieno and Photos by Ondari Ogega When two-year-old Parloma Apondi was born with omphalocele, a rare condition where some abdominal organs develop outside the body, her parents feared for her survival. This week, during the annual paediatric surgical camp at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH), she finally received the...
Story by Sherine Atieno and Photos by Ondari Ogega “If I had to pay for this surgery from my own pocket, I wouldn’t have managed to afford it,” says a deeply grateful Gladys Achieng. The 27-year-old mother from Seme now sees her son’s successful operation as a priceless birthday gift and a new chance at...
Story by Sherine Atieno and photos by Ondari Ogega Five-year-old Sheila Bahati has been living with omphalocele, a congenital (born with) condition where some of her abdominal organs developed outside the body. During the ongoing annual paediatric surgical camp at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH), she finally underwent a successful surgery to...
