Neema grew up in Nairobi in the middle class home of a nuclear family. One of her fondest memories is that of her father carrying her on his shoulders during a Safari Rally.

Her medical career followed a path well known to the many of us – ingrained by our parents. This was largely courtesy of her mother whose brother was a gynaecologist. After doing well in high school Neema swiftly transitioned to pursue her medical undergraduate at the University of Nairobi not too well prepared for the culture shock of all the studying a medical career entailed; something she thought to have left behind with the rigorous Kenyan curriculum in high school. However, she found herself instantly following in love with orthopedics after experiencing what it was all in her first rotation in medical school.

Neema performing surgery with a colleague

Currently, there are 10 female orthopedic surgeons practicing in Kenya and possibly about another 10-15 in training. Neema was the first registered resident in orthopedic surgery in Kenya. Shortly after, another two female doctors in training changed from general surgery to orthopedics and that made them the first three registered orthopedic surgeons in the country.

Neema’s postgraduate training was not sponsored by the government. Her tuition fees was loaned to her and she paid back in arrears. This cost her more than the stipend she was earning in training with no opportunity to look for additional work due to the existing study and workload. Her husband has been out of the country for work and she was unable to visit due to the demands at hand. This took a toll on the marriage and unfortunately it became among the sacrifices made for the pioneering orthopedic surgeon the country gained.

Neema is not just a thriving doctor based in Kisumu county, she is also a single mother raising a girl who has to understand how much the world needs her mother, “My child looks up to me for everything yet I also have to give my work the same. Her reward is demonstrating to her daughter that a woman can still be a successful surgeon and a single parent.

“Kisumu public health care is in a sorry state, no apologies to make,” states Neema. “Our private healthcare on the other hand is really growing, where specialist care is involved, and has a positive trend. I would say we are actually providing world class health care locally.”

To create a balance in her life, and with the exception of emergencies, Neema sticks to operating two days per week and being at the clinic three days a week.

Her encouragement to other young girls looking to pursue medicine is not to shy away because of prejudices and to take up the more complex types of surgeries such as orthopaedics, “Everything is just about practice, practice, practice…” she adds.

Her first experience with loss and her lowest point in her practice as doctor was at age 27 and exactly on her 27th birthday. This happened right after her internship. Neema was posted to Narok as a Medical Officer. The 17 year old boy was having an asthma attack. He reacted to one of the drugs and stopped breathing. The Narok hospital did not have an ICU facility that had the capacity to handle that. “Typically asthma attacks are manageable and this was unexpected and at a very young stage in my practice; it took much more of an impact than other experiences further in my career.”

Next for Neema is specialising in spine surgery and practicing more of arthroplasty as well, something she has recongised as an unmet need in this country.