Kenyan medic Dennis Mureithi honoured in US

A Kenyan doctor has been recognised in the United States of America (USA) for his efforts in providing specialised gynaecological care through mobile surgical clinics to women in low—and middle-income communities.

Dr Dennis Mureithi received the Emerging Country scholarship award from the American Association of Gynaecologic Laparoscopists (AAGL).

The award recognises a deserving physician from a developing economy who empowers progress in minimally invasive gynaecology within his or her community.

Dr Mureithi was also honoured for his social enterprise, The Hem Practice (THP), for its “Lap on Wheels” initiative, which has made laparoscopic gynaecological services accessible and affordable to women through its mobile surgical unit.

The obstetrics and gynaecologist were recognised for providing laparoscopy, a minimally invasive surgical procedure, to women in peri-urban and rural areas.

Laparoscopy is surgery done through small incisions using miniaturised surgical tools and cameras, involving operations in the abdomen, including surgery of the uterus, stomach, gall bladder, intestines, kidneys, and bladder.

Laparoscopy is therefore often out of reach for many due to a combination of challenges, including a shortage of specialists, limited access to necessary equipment, and the high cost of the procedure.

The challenges often lead patients to opt for alternative procedures like open surgery, which deprives them of the benefits of laparoscopy.

These include reduced blood loss, lower risk of infection, shorter hospital stays, less pain and reliance on medication during recovery, faster healing times, and smaller, less noticeable scars.

“A laparoscopic hysterectomy in larger city hospitals will cost north of Sh350,000, while an open hysterectomy in low or medium cost hospitals costs around Sh80,000. Given the huge differences in cost, most patients will opt for the ‘cheaper’ open procedure, despite the benefits of laparoscopy,” Dr Mureithi told Nation.

Dr Mureithi said he established THP in 2021 to help women in East Africa have access to advanced gynaecological care, regardless of location or economic status, in response to the challenges.

As part of its mission, THP launched the “Lap of Wheels” initiative, which enables hospitals and doctors to offer women laparoscopic gynaecology services through its mobile surgical unit.

“These services are offered at either no cost or significantly subsidised rates through the fully-equipped laparoscopic mobile surgical unit,” he said.

Since its inception, THP through Lap on Wheels has conducted over 500 laparoscopic procedures in public, mission, and low-cost private hospitals.

“These surgeries have impacted the women in various ways with some who had no hope of ever having a child, getting pregnant shortly after a laparoscopic procedure to unblock their tubes. Others have had their dignity and normal life restored after years of experiencing heavy bleeding,” said Dr Mureithi.  

“I recall a particular case involving a patient, who would sit in a basin during her periods because they were heavy and prolonged and she couldn’t afford the immense number of pads required to protect her,’’ he added.

The initiative has also introduced laparoscopy in 43 hospitals in 30 towns in 10 counties and supported over 50 healthcare professionals, enabling them to learn and improve their laparoscopic skills and enhance patient care.

The Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College (Tanzania) alumnus said the award will be instrumental in capacity building to enable more local doctors to learn from their counterparts in the US.

“We have received requests from several American doctors who would like to help us with our capacity-building initiatives with the doctors and the hospitals in our networks.”

Going forward, he said, THP plans to increase the mobile units to three from the current one in the coming year.

This will see the social enterprise open a first-of-its-kind medical centre in Thika town, Kiambu County that will offer training and medical consulting services, including various office procedures such as endometriosis ultrasounds, hysteroscopy "endoscopy of the uterus”, and vaginoscopy.

The centre will be a fully-fledged day surgery centre by the end of 2025, and it will have a fully equipped laparoscopic theatre to handle even more complex procedures and supervise hands-on training for healthcare professionals.

“This centre will significantly reduce the financial burden on patients, as laparoscopy allows for the performance of procedures that would typically necessitate a hospital stay to be performed as day procedures, significantly reducing the cost of the procedure,” said Dr Mureithi.