What happens when neurologists, emergency physicians, nurses, clinical officers, radiology teams, pharmacists, health records personnel, patient assistants, hospital leaders, and professional societies come together with one shared purpose?
Over four days in Eldoret, we witnessed the answer.
From 10th to 13th August, the Angels Initiative, in collaboration with Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH), Eldoret Hospital, the Kenya Association of Physicians (KAP) Eldoret Branch, and the Kenya Stroke Society, convened the first regional multidisciplinary stroke management training in Kenya. Conducted in two cohorts, the workshop brought together 130 healthcare professionals from across the region with a common goal: improving the journey of every stroke patient, from symptom onset to recovery.
The first cohort was officially opened by Dr. Andrew Wandera, Director of Clinical Services at MTRH, while the second cohort was opened by Dr. Simiyu Tabu, Head of the Emergency Department at MTRH. We were also honored by the presence of Mateusz Stolarczyk, Angels Director of Integrated Systems & Strategic Partnerships, whose participation highlighted the growing momentum behind building integrated stroke systems of care across Africa.
Led by Dr. Maureen Waweru, Kenya Angels Consultant, the training was designed around a simple but powerful principle: stroke care is a team sport.
Every minute matters when a patient is having a stroke. Success depends not on one individual but on an entire system working together seamlessly. That is why participants explored every step of the stroke pathway, from emergency response and pre-notification to imaging, hyperacute treatment, quality monitoring, post-acute care, and rehabilitation planning.
The workshop was delivered by an exceptional interdisciplinary faculty, including Dr. Daisy Korir, Dr. Jamil Said, Dr. Geoffrey Wasike, Dr. Peter Waweru, Dr. Matilda Wendo, Dr. Boen, Mary Kwambai, Mary Kemboi, and Dr. Maureen Waweru, who shared both technical expertise and practical experience from the frontline of stroke care.
Yet perhaps the most memorable moments came during the patient simulations.
In those sessions, the lecture room transformed into a real-world stroke pathway. Participants stepped into their respective roles, assessing patients, making rapid decisions, communicating across disciplines, coordinating imaging, activating treatment pathways, and navigating the pressures of time-critical care. The simulations demonstrated what clinical evidence has repeatedly shown: when every member of the team understands their role and works in sync, patient outcomes improve.
Beyond the presentations and workshops, this training represented something bigger.
It marked the beginning of a regional approach to stroke education, bringing together institutions, professional societies, and multidisciplinary healthcare teams around a shared vision of reducing disability and saving lives from stroke. It demonstrated the power of partnership and reinforced the commitment of healthcare leaders in the North Rift region to strengthening stroke systems of care.
To every participant, faculty member, partner organization, and hospital leader who contributed to making this first regional stroke training a success, thank you.
Together, we are not just training healthcare professionals.
We are building stronger stroke-ready systems, one team, one hospital, and one patient at a time.
