I arrived at the beginning of September for my first time in Africa. I really did not know what to expect but after 2 weeks I am really deeply impressed. Kijabe hospital is a medical center in Kenya where people get medical treatment at a high level for a reasonable price. The doctors are well trained – mostly in America and Australia, the residents, house and medical officers are highly motivated, have abundant basic medical knowledge, and, on top of that, they receive a detailed and profound training in their specialties that will prepare them for their challenges in the smaller community hospitals. Politics just has to make sure that they stay here in Africa to serve their countries and their people after they are finished with their training.
Same for the nursing staff. The nurses are competent, helpful, motivated. A substantial number of nurses who are trained here are hired at the big and prestigious hospitals in Nairobi – unfortunately for the Kijabe hospital but also an expression of the quality of training they receive at Kijabe hospital.
The African people are friendly, open and very patient and generally happy. Imagine 100 people in surgical clinic, first come first serve, waiting from 9 am to be seen at 3 pm – no complaints, still happy to be seen after a 6 h wait. Those people deserve our help despite political uncertainties. The fellow doctors who work here full time on their missionary dedication deserve our full recognition and support. I am lucky to be here. I am looking forward to the rest of my stay and hopefully I will be back some time.