By Lorraine Anyango.
For Milka Achieng,33, (not her real name), the past nine years have been a heartbreaking journey marked by 15 miscarriages. Each loss, occurring before the eighth week of pregnancy, has left her yearning for a child. Determined to find answers, Achieng has sought medical advice from various gynecologists, undergone numerous tests, and taken countless medications.
When she heard about the inaugural Laparoscopy Camp at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH), she gathered the strength to participate in the screening process, hoping for a diagnosis that would explain her recurring miscarriages. “I’m hopeful that today I will finally understand why I keep losing my babies, and perhaps, with God’s blessing, my husband and I will be able to have a child,” she expressed.
Another woman participating in the camp, 27-year-old Lorna Adhimbo, (not her real name) has been struggling with infertility due to tubal blockage for the past three years. She joined the camp with the determination to undergo laparoscopic surgery to unblock her fallopian tubes.
Achieng and Adhimbo are just two of the thirty beneficiaries selected to undergo laparoscopic procedures during the ongoing Laparoscopy Camp at JOOTRH, which runs until September 26, 2024.
The camp is a collaborative effort between Laparoscopy Mashinani and JOOTRH. Laparoscopy Mashinani has assembled a team of experienced laparoscopic gynecology surgeons, laparoscopic general surgeons, laparoscopic nurses, and laparoscopic surgery assistants to provide the necessary expertise, training, and equipment for the surgeries.
The founder of Laparoscopy Mashinani, Dr. Joseph Nyaga Njagi, expressed their delight in being at JOOTRH to conduct the surgeries and train many more health workers. This initiative aims to ignite interest in laparoscopy and pass on valuable skills to local healthcare professionals.
Laparoscopy Mashinani Industry partners, including Olympus & NRB X-rays, Penta Prism Medical Africa, Wellcare Devices Enterprises, Surgitech Solutions Ltd, and Lariox Ltd, have generously supported the camp by providing essential equipment, disposable instruments, and laparoscopic surgical consumables.
As these women undergo laparoscopic surgery, they hold onto the hope that this procedure will finally bring them the joy of motherhood.
