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Medical Specialties

Obstetrics and Gynecology

tenwek-hospital-logo

Tenwek Vitals
361-bed Christian Mission Hospital
Hospital staff: 800+
Inpatients/year: 15,000+
Outpatients/year: 220,000+
Surgeries/year: 6,000
Births/year: approx. 3,000
Hospital-wide HMIS and radiology PACS system

Full-time missionary staff includes physicians in:
General and Orthopedic Surgery
Family Practice
Internal Medicine
Neurosurgery
Pediatrics
Pediatric Surgery
OB/GYN
Ophthalmology
Gastroenterology

The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology (OBGYN) is a growing service at Tenwek Hospital. OBGYN physicians primarily serve high-risk obstetrics patients and other complicated OBGYN medical and surgical conditions.

The Maternity Unit, which includes a NICU/ newborn nursery, is the largest single department in the hospital. The 67-bed maternity ward is often fully occupied, with two or three women sharing a bed.

The Unit is very busy with low-risk mothers arriving for delivery who have had prenatal care at the Tenwek maternity clinics as well as women without prenatal care. Women in labor are managed by Kenyan nurse-midwives, with doctors providing constant support if complications arise. In recent years, 22-25% of over 4,000 annual deliveries were done by cesarean section.

Some common OB/GYN conditions treated at Tenwek include: intrauterine fetal demise, miscarriages, severe pre-eclampsia, advanced cervical cancers in 20-40-year-olds, illegal abortion complications, severe anemias, massive fibroids and ovarian tumors – with many of these conditions compounded by multiple co-morbidities.

The Ob/Gyn Physician’s Role at Tenwek

OBGYN-1-For-WEB

There is an OB operating room in Maternity and available OR space in the Main “Theatre.” When on call, the visiting physician will perform or supervise this surgery. There is a maternal-child health clinic where prenatal care is provided Monday through Friday. Complicated pregnancies are referred to the obstetrics team while normal pregnancies are generally cared for by MCH nurses and clinical officers. The Tenwek OB service provides care for many complicated patients.

The Obstetric service includes many high-risk antepartum patients with the diagnosis of chronic hypertension, preeclampsia, preterm labor, preterm premature rupture of the membranes, rheumatic heart disease, and diabetes, as well as frequent patients with severe HELLP syndrome, many complicated by IUGR.  HIV affects about 5% of the patients.

The Gynecologic service also is busy. Gyn clinic is held on Wednesdays, and elective Gyn surgical cases are done in the Main Theatre Tuesdays and Thursdays. Surgery for fibroids (hysterectomy and myomectomy) are the most common Gyn elective cases.  Nonelective cases include pelvic masses, ectopics, D&Cs for hemorrhage and complicated pelvic abscesses.  Advanced gynecologic cancers are frequently encountered, particularly cervical, uterine and ovarian.

Department Equipment

The unique challenges of providing care in a resource-poor country makes treatment much more difficult. Tenwek is one of the few hospitals in Kenya that provides electronic fetal monitoring. This is a tertiary center by Kenyan standards, with a CT scanner and NICU with ventilator capability. However, nothing is easy or straightforward. You have to be flexible, innovative, and creative.

Five new fetal monitors were delivered by Dr. Phil Greig, FOT’s Champion for OB/Gyn. The maternity unit and the radiology department have ultrasound machines, including a vaginal probe transducer. Ultrasound expertise is needed to teach the ultrasound techs and provide Ob and Gyn ultrasound diagnostic evaluations on a daily basis.

With the launch of the OBGYN Residency program, additional equipment will be needed. Donations to purchase OB surgical instruments (ring forceps, tenaculums, speculums, medium dilators, hand held dopplers, etc.), fetal monitors, and a blood bank refrigerated centrifuge are most welcome. Use the online form on the right of this page to make a gift.

Department Staff

Morning-RoundsThe OB/Gyn team is comprised of:

  • Long-term and visiting OB/Gyn consultants (specialists)
  • A medical officer (general practitioner)
  • A physician assistant specializing in reproductive healthcare
  • Medical officer interns completing their clinical training
  • Physician assistant (clinical officer) interns.
  • 1-2 medical students

In addition, most of the year, a first or second year surgical resident is rotating on the service. Family Practice residents also come in three-month rotations.

This is the only training they will receive in women’s health so they need intense and comprehensive training during their clinical rotation. Visiting OB/Gyns will work with long term staff and will be involved in many aspects of care and teaching of our students, interns and residents. These young staff are so enthusiastic and eager to learn; this is one of the most rewarding parts of service at Tenwek.

Daily morning rounds are done on all the patients, along with prayer with each.

OB/GYN Residency

OBGYN-2-for-WEB

In Kenya, and throughout much of Africa, all vaginal births are conducted by midwives with various levels of training and with no pain control options. Maternal and perinatal mortalities are unacceptably high.

Kenyan maternal mortality rates are 21 times higher than in the USA. Increasing the number of trained OB/GYN physicians will improve health outcomes for women and their babies.

Tenwek has received approval from PAACS to begin residency training in the OB/Gyn specialty.  The development of curriculum and training modules is underway. Tenwek hopes to recruit international OB/Gyn faculty who can provide teaching at Tenwek for a minimum of two weeks per year and possible telemedicine consultation.

We invite you to come and experience the adventure of practicing and teaching all aspects of Obstetrics and Gynecology in Africa. You will be changed forever.

How You Can Help

PRAY

  • Pray for the health and safety of the mothers and babies who are treated at Tenwek.
  • Pray for physical and spiritual strength for the OB/GYN department’s missionary and Kenyan staff.
  • Pray that Tenwek can continue to recruit qualified, mission-minded African physicians for the OB/GYN residency program.

GIVE

  • Provide lifesaving medical equipment and supplies for OB/GYN services.
  • Support an African OB/GYN resident with a gift that provides housing, a small stipend, certification testing, insurance, and educational materials.
  • Use the online form on the right of this page to make a gift.

SERVE

  • Serve at Tenwek through a short-term medical mission trip and share your expertise with the next generation of African physicians.
Learn more about visiting Tenwek

It‘s always a busy day on Tenwek’s Maternity Ward!

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    Medical Specialties
  • Diagnostic Radiology
  • Endoscopy-Gastroenterology
  • General Surgery
  • Nephrology
  • Neurosurgery
  • OB/GYN
  • Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
  • Orthopedic Surgery
  • Otolaryngology (ENT)
  • Pediatrics
  • Physiotherapy
  • Special Needs Clinic

OB/GYN Champions

phil-greig
Phil Greig, MD:
philgreigmd@gmail.com

 

bryan-myers
Bryan Myers, MD:
bryanandjane@gmail.com

If you would like to make a financial gift to support the OB/GYN program at Tenwek, please use the button below to open a secure online form. Your gift to the OB/GYN General fund will help us meet many needs, including renovations to the Maternity and NICU wards.

Donate with Credit Card or Bank Draft

TO SEND A GIFT BY CHECK:
Please make checks payable to Friends of Tenwek Inc. and designate “OB/GYN Fund” in the memo line.
Friends of Tenwek Inc.
1132 Greenbridge Drive
Matthews, NC 28105

Donate with PayPal

We also gratefully accept OB/GYN-related equipment and supplies. Please contact Dr. Phil Greig for more information.

cowels

A reflection from Cheryl Cowles, M.D., a full-time missionary doctor serving in Tenwek’s OB/GYN department. Cheryl Cowles reflection.

Join Our Mailing List

Friends of Tenwek Inc.

1132 Greenbridge Drive
Matthews, NC 28105

info@friendsoftenwek.org
(704) 491-4297

Friends of Tenwek is accredited by the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability.

Tenwek Hospital Mission

tenwek-hospital-logoTenwek Hospital is a Christian community committed to excellence in compassionate healthcare, spiritual ministry, and training for service to the glory of God.

Friends of Tenwek Mission

Friends of Tenwek is an independent 501c3 non-profit charitable organization growing an actively-engaged global community to empower Tenwek Hospital to provide excellent compassionate healthcare, spiritual ministry and training for service through capacity-building, financial resources and spiritual support.

Designation of Gifts

Friends of Tenwek Inc. (FOT) sets meaningful and achievable fundraising goals in support of Tenwek Hospital. When the gifts received for a designated project or program exceed the identified need or fall so short that the project cannot be fulfilled, the FOT Board of Directors will use its discretion to redirect the funds to another, similar area of need at Tenwek Hospital.

 

© 2023 Friends of Tenwek
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