My FOCOS Experience – Dr. Joseph Theuri
My name is Dr. Joseph Theuri and I come from Kenya. I work at AIC CURE International Hospital as an orthopedic surgeon. This hospital is situated at Kijabe and is a surgical hospital treating children with physical deformities and disabilities.
I have for many years yearned to visit FOCOS Orthopedic Hospital because it has a very good reputation in the African continent due to its advanced work on correcting complex spine deformities in children. I got a chance to visit as an academic visitor through the hospital’s Health Volunteer Program. I have been at the hospital for the month of September, 2021. The purpose of my visit was to see how complex spine deformities are treated at the hospital and learn from the staff.
I found FOCOS to be a well-equipped hospital. The outpatient department was spacious and had a friendly atmosphere. The laboratory and medical imaging facilities were well developed to provide a wide variety of diagnostic services in order to support the medical and surgical work at the hospital. The wards had a homely atmosphere, and there was an educational facility where long-stay patients could study and continue their education. The hospital had harnessed solar energy with solar panels installed at every available roof space.
Each time I asked a staff member for something, the staff did everything possible to provide the help that I needed or connect me with someone that could help. Doctors and other clinical staff handled patients in an unhurried and professional manner. It was evidently important to them to make sure that the patient and the parent / guardian was provided with adequate information concerning the illness and the treatment process in a language simple enough for them to genuinely understand. They took time to explain and answer questions.
There was an unequivocal attitude of faith and reliance on God in delivering the service of healing to the sick, and this was shown most explicitly by the prayers offered to God at the beginning of every surgical procedure.
The hospital handled very severe deformities of the spine. In order to do this, the hospital had a highly dedicated and experienced team of doctors and other clinical staff who worked well together, a well -developed critical care service, and well equipped operating rooms. They utilized halo-gravity traction to improve the spine curve correction and improve the safety of the surgical procedures. There were carefully defined and almost universally understood protocols for most of the treatment processes that took place at the hospital. This resulted in the maintenance of a high standard of medical care.
I am very grateful to the administration of FOCOS Orthopedic Hospital for giving me this opportunity to visit and for facilitating my learning experience. I felt at home and among friends.
