The eyedoctors of Kenyatta State Hospital, Nairobi

Milimani Backpackers, Nairobi, Kenia

In the meantime, I have a 16-hour coach trip behind myself and am in Nairobi. The hostel is pretty, the employees and the guests are very nice. All that comes with a nice garden, terrace and swimming pool. What does one want more?

Very exciting was my visit to Kenyatta hospital of Nairobi. This was arranged with Dr. Millicent. She is one of the Consultants in the ophthalmic clinic there.

 


No worry - I have NO eye problem, or better, no more than usually. No, it was something else. The Lions Club of Bavaria sponsors students who are trained especially in the ophthalmology. My father is active in the Lions club Guenzburg and the club supports already the second ophthalmologist financially. As I spend anyhow a few days in Nairobi, the idea was born to visit these young doctors there.

Eye doctors in training, Kenyatta State Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya

So, Dr. Millicent has brought me to the students who are sponsored by Lions Bavaria. These were about 15 young students (with us one probably rather say assistant doctors) waiting for me. Most of them from Kenya, two from Ghana, one from Somalia, one from Zambia. We spent a brief hour with questions / answers, then I was allowed to visit the ocular department.

With the eye doctors, Kenyatta State Hospital, Nairobi, Kenia

Of course, you cannot compare this hospital with the possibilities and the equipment of our medical centers, in comparison to many other medical centers in Africa, however, this is doing pretty good. Unfortunately, quite a lot of important devices are there in too low number or for a long time broken, and there is no one, who could repair it. This is not optimal for education, let alone the patients who must accept longer waiting periods. 

The broken eye examination machine, Kenyatta State Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya

All assistant doctors go into villages, mainly for doing cataract surgery.
To me it seems, that that the education is good there and the young doctors are extremely motivated. I think, the money is well put on.

This was an exciting day!

Dr Millicent examining a patient, Kenyatta State Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya