Story by Marire Emmanuel and Otieno Desantos and Photos by Ondari Ogega The advice came naturally to Beatrice Opondo. As a Community Health Promoter (CHP) in Vihiga County, she spent years guiding families to seek medical attention whenever illness struck. She helped communities recognize danger signs, linked patients to health facilities, and reinforced the importance...
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Early Treatment Helps Two-Year-Old Take His First Steps
Story by Stacy Owino and Photos by Ian Obadha “After treatment, he can now stand and walk well.” The words are simple, but for Joy Munagi, a resident of Nyalenda in Kisumu, they represent months of perseverance, sleepless nights, and unwavering hope. Today, as the world marks World Clubfoot Day, Ms. Munagi looks at her...
Healing the Mind to Heal the Body
Story by Lorraine Faith and Photos by Ian Obadha At the Oncology Unit of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH), the medical team operates on a singular, powerful conviction: “Cancer is not a death sentence.” While breast cancer is a physical battle, the hospital recognizes that the impact on a patient’s mental health...
JOOTRH’s First “Intra-operative imprint cytology” Surgery Performed in Western Kenya
Story by Lorraine Opondo and Photos by Lorraine Faith In a historic leap for healthcare in Western Kenya, the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) has successfully pioneered a rapid diagnostic technique that allows surgeons to identify disease in real-time. The procedure, known as intraoperative pathological assessment using imprint cytology, allows pathologists to...
How a Male Nurse is Challenging Societal Stereotypes
Story by Philister Adhiambo, Mercy Chloe and Carolyne Nyongesa Photos by Ondari Ogega “When I qualified, we were only five men and 45 women, and this was a big challenge to me,” recalls Lawrence Waguma. In a society that often paints nursing with a strictly feminine brush, Lawrence chose to step into the ward not...
Kisumu Journalists Trade Pens for Pints in Lifesaving World Press Freedom Day Drive.
Story by Sherine Atieno and Photos by Ian Obadha In a striking departure from their usual roles as observers of tragedy, 63 journalists from the Kisumu Journalists Network (KJN) swapped their notebooks for donation needles at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) this week. Marking World Press Freedom Day under the theme...
Shift from “Empirical Guesswork” to Targeted Stewardship in Wound Care.
Story by Lorraine Opondo and Photos by Ondari Ogega A new study by Dr. Silas O. Awuor has raised alarm over the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in wound care, warning that current treatment practices in Kenya may be doing more harm than good. The research, conducted at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral...
The Eight-Month Wait: Kisumu Breast Cancer Crisis Demands Immediate Community Action
Story by Lorraine Anyango Milka Omolo’s seven-year struggle for a breast cancer diagnosis is a stark reflection of a severe crisis facing women in Kisumu: the crippling, and often fatal, delay between noticing the first symptom and receiving definitive care. Though Milka, a 25-year-old from Kindubay, first noticed a progressive lump on her left breast...
Victoria Hospital Champions Sickle Cell Care with Awareness Caravan
Story by Sherine Atieno and Photos by Ondari Ogega Do you know your sickle cell status?” This was the resounding call at Victoria Hospital, an annex of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH), as the facility joined hands with Zuwi Afya CBO to host a medical safari caravan aimed at spreading awareness on...





