Kenya Medical Elective - Siaya District Hospital
Location: Siaya, Western Kenya
Outpatient Clinics: Casualty Dept, Voluntary Counselling and Testing Centre for HIV/AIDS, Anti Retroviral Therapy Clinics, Chest Clinics (TB, COAD, Asthma), Mother and Child Health Clinics, Antenatal Clinics, Diabetes Clinic, Eye Unit, Dental Clinic, Ear, Nose and Throat, Immunizations, Psychiatric consultations
Inpatient Wards: Medical, Surgical, Orthopaedics, Paediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Maternity
Medical Facilities: X-ray, Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Laboratory, Theatre, Pharmacy
Number of Doctors: 25
Number of Beds: 240
Siaya District Hospital - Summary
Siaya District Hospital is a large teaching hospital situated in Siaya Town serving an extremely large population of rural living people. The hospital itself is quite run down and is lacking in government funding, but they have recently opened a medical and nursing school in the area so there are now a lot of Kenyan student doctors and nurses completing their training at the hospital so government funding is on the increase.
Siaya district is a rural area in the Nyanza Province of Kenya, close to Lake Victoria and the Ugandan border. It is one of the poorest regions of Kenya which continually faces a number of economic problems, including high unemployment rates (particularly in the youth), limited farm productivity (regular droughts have occurred in Nyanza Province over the last decade and beyond), poor infrastructure and government services and a lack of affordable, quality healthcare.
Unfortunately Siaya district also has the highest rates of morbidity and mortality in the country due to infectious diseases and the infant mortality rates in Siaya are very high. The most common diseases in Siaya district are malaria, HIV/AIDS, respiratory infections, and skin diseases. Severe malnutrition is another major problem, with rates estimated at 2.5 to 5% in children less than 36 months of age.
Recent statistics at Siaya District Hospital show that there are approximately 3 births per day and further statistics show that over 10% of babies were born with low birth weight, and nearly 5% were born prematurely. Nearly 20% of women visiting the Siaya District Hospital Antenatal Clinic had a positive blood smear for malaria, these high rates of low birth weight and premature deliveries are likely to be related to malarial infection during pregnancy.
We have been sending Medical Students to Siaya District Hospital since 2003 and we have a strong working relationship based on mutual respect and support from Moving Mountains Trust. Over the years we have provided a variety of equipment and medical supplies for Siaya District Hospital, most of which have been donated by Medical Students who have spent time at the hospital and have raised funds for our charity.
Elective Video from Western Kenya - Excellent compilation video of Phil Huang's experiences throughout his Medical Elective at Siaya District Hospital and Dophil Community Clinic (December 2005) in Western Kenya.
Elective Blog from Western Kenya - Kiren Dulku's Medical Elective Blog from Siaya District Hospital and Dophil Community Clinic (December 2005) in Western Kenya.
Elective students talking with their supervising Doctor
Critical care at Baby Unit in Siaya District Hospital
Donating equipment funded by Medical Students to Siaya District Hospital
Siaya District Hospital's Vision, Mission and Values.
- Siaya District Hospital
- Dophil Clinic
- Embu Provincial Hospital
- Tribhuvan Hospital
- Kenya preparation
- Kenya avoiding infection
- AIDS & Hepatitis policy
- Medical elective ethics
- Medical Elective resources
- Medical kit advice
- Avoiding malaria
- Travel vaccinations
- Support Moving Mountains
- Bumburi Community Clinic
- Kathmandu Accommodation
- Nepal: Local price guide
- Health and Safety
- Terms and Conditions