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 progressive worsening of their illnesses. This week, that narrative shifted dramatically as the facility officially received its own heart-lung machine, bridging the gap between hope and healing.

The newly acquired equipment is not just any standard medical device; JOOTRH has secured the Essence Perfusion System, manufactured by Livanova in Germany. Representing a massive technological leap forward from its predecessor, the Stockart 5 (S5), the Essence system comes as a single package complete with an integrated heater-cooler.

“We decided to go for the latest machine in the market because these machines come with various technologies and very advanced systems that can be used for several years to come,” explains Dr. Juma Odoro, a Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery Specialist at JOOTRH.

Remarkably, JOOTRH is making history with this acquisition. It is the first institution in the entire country—both public and private—to house the Essence Perfusion System. To support this groundbreaking milestone, the hospital has established robust local support systems with the supplier to guarantee continuous service, maintenance, and parts availability without interruptions.

The arrival of the machine could not be more timely. Kenya faces a staggering deficit in cardiac care: the country requires close to 10,000 open-heart surgeries annually, yet current capacity across all existing facilities only handles between 1,000 and 1,500 cases per year.

At JOOTRH alone, the cardiac clinic sees three to four patients every week who require surgery, translating to roughly 200 patients a year from Kisumu and surrounding cross-border regions like Busia and Migori. Sadly, many patients lose their lives or deteriorate past the point of safe surgical intervention while waiting for a slot at overwhelmed facilities elsewhere.

Dr. Robert Sadia, a specialist at the hospital, shared her profound relief and excitement for the community:

“A key symptom of cardiac ailments is you get tired when you walk… when these patients have to travel to Eldoret, to Nairobi, or to the Coast to get care, they get tired after walking 10 meters, 50 meters. It’s a deep ask.”

JOOTRH is currently routine in thoracic, vascular, and closed cardiac procedures, but open heart surgeries are slated to officially commence by the month of August—roughly two months away—once the necessary surgical consumables are delivered.

The hospital plans to initially start with 10 cases per month, aiming for roughly 120 successful surgeries in the first year before expanding capacity.

Initial operations will focus strictly on adult cardiac surgery, specifically addressing high-prevalence conditions like valve diseases (stenosis, leaks, and failures driven by rheumatic heart disease) and intracardiac tumors.

Highly specialized procedures, including Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG) for coronary artery disease and complex pediatric surgeries, will be introduced later as the facility scales up its team and integrates its upcoming pediatric ICU.

To ensure a flawless launch, JOOTRH is deploying a robust multidisciplinary team consisting of three resident cardiothoracic surgeons (two from the main hospital and Prof. Stephen Ogendo from Maseno University School of Medicine), cardiac anesthesiologists, and specialized cardiac nurses. The hospital will also collaborate with experienced external partners to ease into the initial phase of surgeries seamlessly before transitioning into complete autonomy. Comprehensive training on the new machine is already underway, including technical factory training in Germany and localized operational schedules for the entire theater team.

Perhaps the most impactful victory for residents is the cost relief. In private Kenyan hospitals, open-heart surgery is an astronomical expense, costing anywhere from Ksh 1.7 million to Ksh 1.9 million. At JOOTRH, being a public facility that waives human resource fees, the baseline cost sits significantly lower at between Ksh 400,000 and Ksh 700,000. Furthermore, with the support of the Social Health Authority (SHA), which remits around Ksh 950,000 per cardiac procedure, the cost is fully covered.