I plan to provide anesthesia services in support of multiple surgeons and to offer educational support for local medical personnel during a medical mission to Kenya. By ensuring safe, high-quality anesthesia care, I will help enable a wide range of surgical procedures to be performed effectively. In addition, sharing clinical knowledge and best practices with local providers will help strengthen local capacity, promote patient safety, and support sustainable improvements in perioperative care.
This project will benefit underserved patients in Kenya who have limited access to surgical and anesthesia services, as well as local medical professionals who will receive additional education and hands-on support. Our organization is committed to serving populations with unmet medical needs. Following a successful mission to Uganda in 2025, we are expanding our efforts to reach additional communities in Africa where access to safe surgical care remains limited.
The mission is expected to provide over one hundred free surgical procedures, directly improving the health and quality of life of patients who might otherwise go without care. Educational engagement with local medical providers will help reinforce skills, knowledge, and best practices that remain in place after the mission concludes. Lessons learned from this mission will also inform and improve future medical missions by enhancing preparation, collaboration, outcomes, and outreach, thereby increasing the long-term effectiveness and sustainability of our work.
Operation International Mission to Kakamega, Kenya
Operation International aims to improve the well-being of underserved communities around the world by providing essential medical care, training local healthcare professionals, strengthening healthcare infrastructure, and supporting vulnerable children through shelter and education. These efforts closely align with Doximity’s mission to promote health equity and sustainable development in global and rural communities.
I joined the Operation International team for my second mission with the organization, traveling to Kakamega, Kenya. During the mission, our multidisciplinary team performed 137 general, head and neck, urologic, and plastic surgeries at County General Hospital in Kakamega.
I supported the surgical team by providing anesthesia including general, spinal, and peripheral nerve blocks, as well as medical care for both children and adults. Working alongside the other members of our team, we helped address the significant shortage of access to essential surgical and medical care in the region.
An important part of our mission was building relationships that will support the community beyond our time in Kenya. Our team met with the Governor of Kakamega County to strengthen our partnership and develop a lasting relationship focused on improving healthcare access and sustainability. These connections are essential to ensuring that our work continues to have a meaningful impact on the people of Kakamega for years to come.
The people of Kakamega and my fellow team members had a profound impact on me. Our patients and their families demonstrated remarkable resilience, patience, and gratitude despite the challenges they face. I am deeply honored to be part of a team of highly skilled, positive, compassionate, and mission-driven professionals who are committed to serving others.
This mission reinforced for me that meaningful healthcare is about more than treating individual patients. It is also about building relationships, strengthening local healthcare systems, and creating sustainable opportunities for communities to thrive. I am grateful to Doximity for supporting my participation and allowing me to continue this work with Operation International.
