By Jane Mugambi
Kerugoya, Kenya: Surgeons at Kerugoya County Referral Hospital in Kirinyaga have performed the first spinal surgery at the hospital, registering a medical milestone in the county.
The surgeons carried out the delicate surgery on a 30-year-old man;The patient had suffered spinal injury with lumbar vertebrae 1 & 2 fracture after falling from height while working.
The surgical operation was led by Dr. Robert Oluoch, Orthopedic Surgeon. The team of 10 specialists included an Orthopedic and Spine Technician, general surgeons, medical officers, an anesthesiologist and nurses.
Dr. Alex Kariuki, one of the surgeons who conducted the surgery said that the delicate surgery, that took the specialists five hours to accomplish, involved instrumentation and stabilization of the spine involving decompressive laminectomy of lumbar spine 1 and 2.
Kariuki added that since the vertebrae are crucial in protecting the spinal cord, such complex surgery required a multi-disciplinary approach. He confirmed that the patient is in stable condition currently recovering in the general ward.
“We performed our first spinal surgery at the Kerugoya referral hospital that took us 5 hours. The patient fell from a height that rendered him paralyzed, at the moment he is stable,”said Kariuki.
The surgeon said with the new modern and well equipped theaters, there will be no need to refer patients to other medical facilities like Kenyatta National hospital or spinal injury center in Nairobi;such surgeries can be conducted in the county since the doctors have the capacity and skills to perform even more delicate surgical operations.
“We have best skilled doctors,we will perform more such surgeries since we are qualified,this will stop us referring patients for further medical attention”,Kariuki added.
Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru hailed the surgical operation as a big milestone toward full realization of her vision for accessing, quality and affordable healthcare for the county residents.
Waiguru said this the first time a spinal surgery has successfully been conducted in a public hospital in Kirinyaga and attributed the success to dedication by medics and acquisition of modern equipment at the new medical complex at Kerugoya County Referral Hospital.
“The spinal surgery at Kerugoya County Referral Hospital is a great milestone and testament that indeed elevation of the facility Kerugoya General hospital from a Level Four to Level Five Hospital, offering services similar to those found at the high-end medical facilities was a well thought out idea. This facility is now able to undertake such delicate medical surgery,” Waiguru said.
She said the success of the surgery affirms the purpose for which the facility was built; to bring specialized medical services to the people and save residents from endless referrals for specialized medical treatment.
Waiguru further thanked the surgical team for the milestone that she said gives hope to patients. She also wished full and speedy recovery to the patient.
The team also got a congratulatory message from the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Susan Nakumicha, who termed the medical stride as a statement to the gains of devolution. She said that the national government was committed to supporting counties in delivery of health services.
Chief Officer for Health Stanley Muriithi said that the county’s capacity to undertake complex procedures had been improved with employment of an experienced Orthopedic Surgeon, and enthusiastic surgical team led by Dr. Oluoch and the construction and equipping of the new state-of-the-art medical complex by Governor Waiguru..
He added that with the operationalization of the new Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the medical complex, the county has been elevated to a point where it can perform similar and more delicate surgeries.
“Previously, we would not be able to handle such complex surgeries and we used to refer patients to other hospitals but with the new medical facility and modern equipment, we will be able to handle even more delicate surgical cases than this,” he said.
