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How neurosurgical camp at Jaramogi hospital is offering relief to Kenyans

The camp, which was organised by Kisumu Neuroscience Initiative, will end on February 5.

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by FAITH MATETE

Western04 February 2025 - 14:15
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In Summary


  • On a rainy day over a year ago, Judith Auma slipped and fell on a muddy road. She sustained an injury.
  • An eight-hour surgery later, Auma’s life was forever changed. Though she is still recovering, she can now sit up in bed, which is a monumental improvement.

(L) Judith Auma from Alego, Siaya county/ Surgeons during the neurosurgical camp at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital in Kisumu /FAITH MATETE



On a rainy day over a year ago, Judith Auma slipped and fell on a muddy road. She sustained an injury.

At first, the injury seemed minor but as the months went by, her condition worsened and simple activities like walking or even standing, became impossible.

The pain in her spine was unbearable.

“People started noticing the change in my posture, and a friend once asked me what was happening,” said Auma, a 45-year-old businesswoman from Alego, Siaya county.

She visited various hospitals and would be given pain relievers.

The relief was short-lived, leaving her trapped in a cycle of pain and hopelessness Desperate for answers, Auma was referred to Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) in December last year, where an MRI revealed severe spinal damage.

The doctors immediately recommended surgery, and with the ongoing neurosurgical camp at the hospital providing a glimmer of hope, she decided to take the chance.

An eight-hour surgery later, Auma’s life was forever changed.

Though she is still recovering, she can now sit up in bed, which is a monumental improvement.

Physiotherapy sessions are underway and she is optimistic she will regain full mobility.

“I’m so grateful for the care I received,” she says, her eyes brightening.

“There are specialists ready to help, and I want others to know that they don’t have to suffer in silence.”

Just like Auma, Francis Muema, 38, from Makueni county faced a similar struggle, though for a longer period.

As a construction worker, his life was defined by physical labour lifting, carrying and moving heavy loads everyday.

But in 2011, while working at a construction site, he fell from a height of 10 metres, landing on sharp rocks and severely injuring his back.

The pain that followed was relentless and despite receiving treatment at Kenyatta National Hospital, where a test revealed that his soft tissues had been badly damaged and surgery recommended, Muema continued to work.

His family depended on his income. The pain worsened and by 2022, the discomfort spread to his knees, and the left side of his body felt as though it were constantly on fire.

Despite the growing agony, he continued to put his family first, prioritising their needs over his health.

In December last year, while working at a construction site, a sudden sharp pain in his back caused him to collapse.

Unable to move, he was rushed to a clinic where an MRI showed a dislocated disc was putting pressure on his spinal nerves. Faced with a surgery bill of Sh800,000 he could not afford, Muema was referred to Dr Lee Ogutha, a renowned neurosurgeon in Nyanza.

Dr Ogutha reviewed his case and advised him to take advantage of the neuro camp at JOORTH organised by the Kisumu Neuroscience Initiative.

There, he underwent a complex procedure that offered immediate relief. Just weeks after the surgery, Muema can walk with minimal assistance and is undergoing physiotherapy.

“The pain that tormented me for years is finally manageable,” he says, his voice filled with gratitude. “I never thought this day would come.”

The ongoing neurosurgical camp at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital is transforming lives of people who have for years suffered debilitating pain and are findin hope and recovering.

The camp continues until February 5.

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