Student wins best oral presentation award at AMSUN conference

A student of Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) in the School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, won the Best Overall Oral Presentation Award at the Association of Medical Students of University of Nairobi (AMSUN) Annual Conference, held recently.

Jane Wainaina, a 6^th year student pursuing Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) emerged the best overall oral presenter, during the AMSUN annual conference held at the Light Academy International School, Nairobi.

The theme of the conference was: Medical Student and Research. Ms. Wainaina made a presentation on Adherence to basic paediatric protocol guidelines on administration of feeds / fluids and antibiotics to neonates at Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital newborn unit.

According to an elated Ms. Wainana who said she was surprised to be declared the best presenter, “the guidelines on newborn management are developed from studies and therefore it is important to follow the established protocols for the best care of the patients,” says Ms. Wainaina.

Ms. Wainaina is keen to sensitize the medical practioners on the importance of adhering to the correct protocols for the wellbeing of the patients under their care.

Her presentation was among the four oral presentation by JKUAT MBChB, Nursing and Pharmacy students. Other oral presentations were:  Assessment of readmission rates in the paediatric ward at Thika Level Five Hospital by Alvin Ndungi; Challenges in management and treatment outcomes among HIV infected adolescents and young adults in Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital by Grace Sagini and Decision-to-delivery interval of emergency caesarean sections and its effect on maternal and neonatal outcomes at Thika Level Five Hospital by Peninah Machoka.

The research projects were conducted during an innovative inter-professional research elective sponsored by the Health Professional Education Partnership Initiative (HEPI).

HEPI is a collaborative grant that seeks to bring new dynamics in medical education and research, being implemented by the Colleges of Health Sciences of Jomo Kenyatta University of Science and Technology, University of Nairobi, Kenyatta University, Maseno University and University of Washington The grant is supported by Fogarty International Center at the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH).

The Principal Investigators of the project are Professor Ruth Nduati and Dalton Wamalwa from the University of Nairobi, while Dr. Patrick Mburugu from the School of Medicine, Department of Child Health and Paediatrics and Dr. Drusilla Makworo from School of Nursing are leading the project’s implementation at JKUAT.