Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) took center stage at the AfricaSTEMI Congress 2025 on Friday, April 25, with a live, multidisciplinary cardiac care demonstration that highlighted the hospital’s growing leadership in cardiovascular treatment and training in sub-Saharan Africa.
Dubbed “CCU Live,” the unique session featured a live-streamed ward round from MTRH’s Cardiac Care Unit (CCU) and was held in collaboration with Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa. The event provided real-time clinical insights into patient management, epidemiology trends, and cardiac care systems at two of Africa’s premier hospitals.
AfricaSTEMI Congress is a continental platform that promotes cardiovascular education, collaboration, and innovation to improve outcomes in heart disease — particularly STEMI (ST-elevation myocardial infarction), one of the most critical forms of heart attacks.
“This was not just a presentation; it was an immersive experience in how multi-disciplinary cardiac teams manage complex heart conditions,” said Dr. Felix Ayub Barasa, Head of Cardiology at MTRH, who led the live session. He was joined by Senior Fellow Dr. Edgar Karanga and CCU Nurse Manager Francis Njoroge, representing the skilled and coordinated care team behind MTRH’s cardiac services.
The demonstration featured a detailed walkthrough of the unit’s daily ward operations, including patient care protocols, treatment discussions, and team-based decision-making. An instructive case study was used to walk the audience through clinical decision-making and interventional approaches.
“This platform allows African institutions to not only learn from each other but also to lead together,” noted Dr. Barasa. “We are proud that MTRH is at the forefront of transforming cardiac care, especially in the public health sector.”
A major highlight of the presentation was MTRH’s newly installed Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory (Cath Lab) — a first in public healthcare facilities across northern and western Kenya. This state-of-the-art facility allows doctors to perform advanced diagnostic and interventional procedures such as angiography and angioplasty, which are critical in saving lives during cardiac emergencies.
With heart disease on the rise across Africa, the addition of the Cath Lab is expected to significantly reduce patient referrals outside the region, while also increasing timely access to life-saving care.
“The availability of the Cath Lab has changed how we respond to acute cardiac cases,” said Dr. Karanga. “We can now perform procedures that previously required patients to travel hundreds of kilometers or pay out-of-pocket in private hospitals.”
The AfricaSTEMI Congress, which brings together leading cardiologists, nurses, researchers, and policy-makers, recognized MTRH’s demonstration as an important educational resource. It was praised for its hands-on approach and transparency in sharing the inner workings of a functioning, high-volume cardiac unit in a public hospital setting.
Nurse Manager Francis Njoroge emphasized the importance of collaborative care. “Cardiac care is a team effort. The patient outcomes we celebrate today are made possible by nurses, cardiologists, pharmacists, radiologists, and many others working in sync every hour of the day,” he said.
MTRH’s involvement in the AfricaSTEMI Congress marks another milestone in its mission to become a center of excellence for cardiac care in East and Central Africa. It also reaffirms Kenya’s commitment to strengthening public healthcare infrastructure and training future generations of health professionals in specialized fields.
As heart disease continues to pose a growing health challenge across the continent, events like CCU Live serve as a beacon of progress, innovation, and unity in the fight against cardiovascular illness.
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