Sylvia Shitsama Nyamweya (née Sylvia Shitsama), is a Kenyan consultant neurosurgeon at the Kenyatta National Referral Hospital.[1] She is the first female neurosurgeon in Kenya[2] and one of a handful of female neurosurgeons in the country.[3]
Shitsama Nyamweya | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Born | 1983 (age 40–41) |
| Nationality | Kenyan |
| Citizenship | Kenya |
| Education | University of Nairobi (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery) (Master of Medicine in Neurosurgery) |
| Occupation | Consultant Neurosurgeon |
| Website | https://drsylviashitsama.com |
Background and education
editShe was born in the Kakamega District in Kenya in 1983,[4][1] and attended Kenyan schools for her elementary and secondary education. She was admitted to the University of Nairobi, where she studied human medicine, graduating with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) degree. Later in October 2008, she was admitted into the neurosurgery residency program at Kenyatta National Hospital, operated by the University of Nairobi.[2] The program, lasting at least six years, leads to the award of a Master of Medicine (MMed) degree in Neurosurgery. She graduated with her MMed degree in February 2015, and became the first female neurosurgeon in Kenya.[2][1]
Work experience
editSince her graduation from the MMed program, she was appointed as a consultant neurosurgeon at Kenyatta National Hospital, the largest referral hospital in the country, which also serves as the teaching hospital of the Nairobi Medical School.[1] Effective January 2016, she concurrently serves as a lecturer at the College of Health Sciences at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT).[2] In June 2017, she began to offer her services at Sage Brain and Spine Clinic, located at the Kenya Medical Association Centre in Nairobi.[3][5] She is reported to be seeking funding to sponsor residents enrolled in the neurosurgery Master of Medicine programme to increase enrollment and output of specialist neurosurgeons.[3]
Dr. Sylvia Shitsama has at some point served as a board member of the Kenya Medical Association Sacco (KMA), responsible for member credit issues.[6]
Honors and awards
editIn 2017, she was named among the "Top 40 Women Under 40 in Kenya", by the Nation Media Group.[1] In 2022, she was one of 14 people honored at the Grow, Unite, Build, Africa (GUBA) Awards, and received the Pioneer Award for Health Excellence.[7]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e "Top 40 Women Under 40 in Kenya" (PDF). Business Daily Africa. Nairobi: Nation Media Group. 2017. Retrieved 22 November 2017.
- ^ a b c d Muchangi, John (10 November 2022). "Story of Kenya's only four female neurosurgeons". The Star. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
- ^ a b c Nyambega Gisesa, and Abigael Sum (22 November 2014). "Why there are only 17 neurosurgeons in Kenya". Nairobi: SDE Kenya. Retrieved 22 November 2017.
- ^ "Sylvia Shitsama-Nyamweya: The Neurosurgeon". Paukwa. 29 October 2021. Retrieved 19 August 2023.
- ^ Ndonga, Simon (21 July 2017). "Relief for patients as neurosurgery clinic opens in Nairobi". Nairobi: 98.4 Capital FM. Retrieved 22 November 2017.
- ^ KMASACCO (22 November 2017). "Kenya Medical Association Sacco: Board of Directors". Nairobi: Kenya Medical Association Sacco (KMASACCO). Retrieved 22 November 2017.
- ^ "GUBA celebrates hard work, excellence of 14 role models at 13th Awards in Kigali". JoyOnline. 10 October 2022. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
External links
edit