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I used to think I was kind of smart until I came to Mutomo. One, the amount of new information was daunting at first – new names of medications, different policies and procedures, new languages. Two, I have always been in awe of Family Medicine Physicians at home and this respect even multiplies for the General Practitioners in Mutomo. There’s a phrase that describes FM physicians as caring for the patient from the cradle to the grave. How profound is that? Being versed in all aspects of medicine – from pregnancy and newborn care to orthopedics, surgery to hypertension and diabetes, cancer to end of life care – is amazing. I’m just an Ob/Gyn and happy about it. In addition to commanding such a broad range of medical knowledge, the physicians here also take phenomenal care of patients with limited resources.
Dr. John Amollo has been here at Our Lady of Lourdes Mission Hospital for nearly 20 years although his home is in Kisumu, in western Kenya. I venture to guess there are very few people in town who don’t know him or garner the utmost respect for him as a physician. Over the years, with transition of staff, he has been known to be the only medical officer on the premises, holding responsibility for the medical, surgical, pediatric and maternity wards. In the course of a week, he can attend cesarean sections, set fractures, perform biopsies, hysterectomies, prostatectomies, pericardiocentesis and reassure a frail geriatric patient about her shortness of breath. He approaches patients with compassion and respect, understanding both their medical and financial needs in formulating treatment plans. I can’t say I’ve ever met a more versatile doctor.
Newest to the team is Dr. Bella Musaniwabo. Originally, from Burundi, she joined the staff here in July of 2017. True to her name, she is the Belle of Mutomo. She always greets you with a smile and her effervescent personality is infectious. She never meets a stranger, so walking through town with her comes with many salutations of “Hi, Dr. Bella!” Though young in her career, she is an astute physician, intent on caring for the whole patient. She provided my first orientation to the hospital, yet left me to fend for myself on day two! Over the past several months, we have seen many patients together, done ultrasounds together and assisted each other in the operating room. An aspiring Ob/Gyn, we of course became fast (and I expect, life-long) friends.
Hometown boy, done good, is Dr. Francis Mutua, an exceptional physician, a trustworthy collegue and a great friend. As a child, he aspired to be part of the military police, then a nurse. But with some encouragement and counsel from a mentor at the hospital he set his sights on a career as a medical doctor. After training in Uganda then completing his internship in Nakuru, his journey brought him home, to Mutomo. He is invested in both the health and the economic growth of the community. He along with his sister have invested in a petrol station nearby in anticipation of a new road coming through the town. Greeting everyone with a, “Mambo” “Sasa” or “Habari,” frequent stops to shake hands are common as we walk through town, the pride of the locals evident on their beaming faces.
I thought I’d take a little time to get an inside perspective from Dr. Mutua today.
- What was your motivation to become a physician?
I finished my high school education in November 2003, and had more or less NO clear plan for my future life after I failed to secure a placement in the public university. College education as self-sponsored individual was beyond imagination. Having been raised by a single parent and a peasant farmer, things weren’t easy.
I am an unlikely person to have become who I am today.
The journey of my life since then to this point began with a casual job at Mutomo Mission Hospital; my first assignment was to cut grass at the hospital compound right in front of your house Mary!
This then led to my subsequent enrollment into the Youth Peer Education Programme where I would meet and interact with Anita (a senior administrator for the hospital) for four years, and through whom I secured sponsorship to study medicine in Uganda.
My main motivation to pursue this course was from the enormous interactions I had with patients, especially the infected and affected by HIV/AIDs. And through good mentorship and wise counsel from a clinical officer friend working at the hospital, I made an application and got an admission. Thanks to him and my Swedish sponsors for making it possible.
- How is Mutomo different than when you left to attend medical school?
Very different. When I left, the town consisted of a small shopping centre with countable shopping outlets. With no power connection to the national grid, life ended at 6pm with the fall of darkness; safe for the hospital compound that enjoyed the luxury of generator powered light until 10pm. There was no major economic activity and businesses that existed were run on a very small scale.
Six years later, banks (5 different companies) have invested in the area. Businesses are run on a much larger scale and animal and poultry farming are part of the economic activities taking place. The dream for a better Mutomo is much alive especially with the increasing connectivity to hydroelectric power, the road upgrade to bitumen standards and the piped clean drinking water project that is near completion.
- What makes Mutomo special, why was it important for you to return?
I wasn’t thrilled by the fact that I was coming to work in my home town. As a matter of fact, my coming to Mutomo was more of honoring a MOU I had with my sponsors and the hospital to work for at least 3 years as a sign of appreciation for sponsorship.
Know what, as I write to you, I am the most happiest person and glad to have made the decision to come to Mutomo. The good interactions with colleagues, good friendship and networking with visiting doctors like you Mary, have given me a solid foundation.
Above all, I have had utmost satisfaction and joy interacting with almost every patient that I have seen; some strangers, many known to, several related. Of course, there are those I am unable to totally solve their suffering and that pains me. It gives me a challenge-that’s why am definitely going back to school, and then, I SHALL RETURN.
- What are the major challenges for the area?
Socio-economic: majority have low to no income, lack of employment for the young and most productive persons. Poor infrastructure.
Climatic: semi desert area, therefore, very poor rainfalls that hardly sustains agricultural activities, which is the main economic venture to majority.
Educational: Many people are semi illiterate. The cost of education is too high for the majority to afford.
Disease Burden: Especially with the upsurge of non-communicable illnesses like HTN, diabetes and cancer. Ignorance plays a key role in disease progression. Many patients present at advanced stages when little to nothing can be done. Lack of specialized care.
- What are your hopes and dreams for the community in the future?
The future is bright, better days are yet to come. That is why going back to school is a MUST. I dream of a day when no patient shall be sent to a far town for an ultrasound or CT scan or this and that test; I see a day when every specialty shall be available under one roof. I foresee myself carrying out laparoscopic surgery for a poor young man with an intestinal obstruction right here in Mutomo.
The road will be complete in a few years, water soon flowing, the market will grow and businesses shall thrive. An all new record for the local economy will be set…
Thank you Mary for finding time to be with us. I appreciate it.
