NEWSLETTER - ISRRT

Medical Services (DMS) through his senior deputy Dr David
Kiima did the honours. This part of the conference was
dedicated to Southern Sudan: Dr Nathan Atem representing
the Minister of Health South Sudan and Mr Daudi Waithaka
of the office of the president Republic of Kenya, outlined in
great depth the challenges and opportunities available in rebuilding
this previously war-ravaged territory. Some of the
challenges are; foreseen dependency on external resources,
poor infrastructure, inadequate number of trained health
personnel, no human resource policy, lack of baseline data,
collapse of endemic disease control programs, poor quality
health care amongst others. Dr Nathan Atem extended
an invitation gesture to radiological professionals to venture
into Southern Sudan noting that the current Minister of
Health of the government of Southern Sudan Dr Theophilus
Ochang Lotti is a radiologist trained in Kenya.
While the opportunities exist following several years
of policy and strategy development, effective partnership
among the health authorities and, professional bodies their
international (mostly NGOs) and local (mostly faith-based)
implementing partners, and government willingness to
adopt implementation mechanisms.
Other invited guests and speakers included Ms Wilma
de Vries, a health consultant on education in developing
countries at the Fontys University, Netherlands who gave
both a retrospective and prospective overview of medical
imaging education in Africa, and current proposed projects
in Kenya; Mr James M. Njoroge, Finance and Administrative
Manager, Phillips Medical Systems (East Africa) gave
insights into accessing finance for health radiographic facility
establishment. The SORK patron Dr N. Adamali
encouraged radiographers to establish collaboration with
other link-minded institutions such as is the case with the
Kenya Association of Radiologists.
In his opening ceremony speech the DMS appreciated
the efforts that were being undertaken by SORK in representing
and tackling the professional issues that arise from
time to time. He noted that there is no country that can rise
about the competency and productivity of its healthcare
staff. Dr. Kiima further enumerated some of the ongoing
developments in radiography amongst them were; development
of a new scheme of service, policy framework to
enact the draft Kenya Radiography Bill, and harmonisation
of healthcare standards. These, he indicated were being
done in collaboration with the current dynamic SORK
council. The Chief Guest was kind enough to present outstanding
awards to Dr N. Adamali (patron SORK), Mrs
Mary Mwangi (private practitioner radiographer) and Mr.
Solomon Kilaha (senior lecturer and head of Medical Education
Kenya Medical Training College, Nairobi [KMTC])
for their immense support and contribution to radiography
in Kenya. Also to be recognised were Shem Onchuki and
James Kuloba for their outstanding presentations during
RASCO 2004. This particular award was established courtesy
of a donation by Dr P. C Engel-Hills from Cape Peninsula
University of Technology in Cape Town South Africa.
DAY 2: 30 April 2006
Report
Top: The Chairman of SORK (2nd left), Mr Longino
Mucheusi, with some of the invited guests at RASCO 2006.
From right Dr Nathan Atem, representing the Minister of
Health South Sudan government, Dr N. Adamali Patron
SORK, and Mr Daudi Waithaka - Director of KESSULO-
Office of the President Republic of Kenya. In the Background
is Mr Caesar Barare, Hon. Secretary SORK, now
ISRRT Regional Director, Europe and Africa.
Bottom: Mr Barnabas Chumo (extreme right) one of the
many Kenyan Radiographers in the diaspora now studying
and working in Australia in a joint photo with local
delegates at RASCO 2006.
The plenary session kicked off the day with an invited
review by Dr Sudhir Vinayak (consultant radiologist
AKUH,Nairobi) titillated the audience with presentation on
the recent trends in ultrasound in the hope it would encourage
more radiographers extend their role in this field. The
challenge lies both in the cooperation between radiologists
and radiographers, willingness to extend into that role and,
the availability of resources to sustain these programmes.
Continued on the next page
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