A senior cardiologist at Devamantha Hospital in the southern Indian state of Kerala has revealed the desperate final efforts by doctors to save former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s life.
Odinga collapsed during a morning walk on Wednesday, October 15, according to an official at the Sreedhariyam Ayurvedic Eye Hospital and Research Center in Koothattukulam.
The former Prime Minister was accompanied by his sister Ruth Odinga, his daughter Winnie Odinga, a personal doctor, and Indian and Kenyan security officers when he collapsed.
“He was rushed to a nearby private hospital, but was declared dead,” Krishnan M, additional superintendent of police in Ernakulam, Kerala told the media.
Devamatha Hospital confirmed to The Associated Press news agency that Raila had suffered a heart attack.
India Cardiologist Reveals Raila Odinga’s Final Moments as Life-Saving Efforts Fail
Speaking to the media outside the hospital on Wednesday, Dr. Alphons SABS revealed that the medical team used every possible life-saving intervention to try and save Raila Odinga.
According to the cardiologist, their efforts included Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) protocols and continuous Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) in a final attempt to revive the ODM leader.
Dr. Alphons revealed that Raila Odinga was brought to the hospital’s emergency department with CPR already initiated by his attending doctor and security personnel.
The medical team continued resuscitation while performing emergency intubation—placing a tube in his trachea—along with other life-saving interventions.
Initially, there was no pulse or recordable blood pressure, even upon palpation. After intubation and continued CPR, the doctors shifted the patient to their ICU with all staff and facilities.
In the ICU, after some time, a heart rhythm appeared on the monitor, showing ST elevation in the anterior electrocardiogram leads, along with regional wall motion abnormalities, indicating reduced movement (hypokinesia) in the left anterior descending artery territory.
After stabilizing him with intravenous fluids, doctors administered an injection to dissolve any potential clot in the coronary arteries. They also noted significant swelling (edema) in his right lower limb.
Raila Amollo, 80 years old and former Kenyan Prime Minister, was brought to our casual emergency medicine department in the morning after suddenly collapsing during his morning walk at Sreetajiyam, an Ayurvedic hospital nearby. CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) had already been started, and he was brought in with active CPR.
His doctor and security personnel were with him, and we continued CPR while performing emergency intubation, inserting a tube into the trachea, along with other resuscitative measures.
Initially, there was no pulse or recordable blood pressure, even upon palpation. After intubation and continued CPR, we shifted the patient to our ICU with all staff and facilities.
In the ICU, after some time, a heart rhythm appeared on the monitor, showing ST elevation in the anterior electrocardiogram leads, along with regional wall motion abnormalities, indicating reduced movement (hypokinesia) in the left anterior descending artery territory.
After stabilizing him with intravenous fluids, doctors administered an injection to dissolve any potential clot in the coronary arteries. They also noted significant swelling (edema) in his right lower limb.
According to the doctor, he had a history of diabetes, hypertension, chronic kidney disease, right lower limb deep vein thrombosis, for which he had an inferior vena cava filter, and a recent thin subdural hematoma
A neurosurgeon accompanied the patient from the previous facility and advised on the thrombolysis procedure, which we proceeded with. CPR was continued from the moment he was brought in until the final efforts in the ICU.
With all other Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) criteria, we continued Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). In spite of our very sincere and continuous efforts with CPR and other measures, we could not save him. We are deeply sorry to inform you that he is no longer with us,” she said.
Our sincere condolences and prayers go out to his family and to the people of Kenya.
CPR is an emergency life-saving procedure that combines chest compressions and rescue breaths to manually pump blood and oxygen to the brain and other organs when a person’s heart has stopped beating or they have stopped breathing.
It is a critical intervention that can double or triple the chance of survival for someone in cardiac arrest and should be performed immediately after calling for emergency help.
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Raila Odinga’s remains have been transported to Kerala Medical College Hospital in the Southern Indian state of Kerala, awaiting repatriation back to Kenya.
Meanwhile, a delegation of more than 30 Kenyan leaders, led by Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, is set to travel to India to facilitate the repatriation of Raila Odinga’s body.
The delegation, comprising senior government officials, politicians, and members of the Odinga family, is expected to depart for India on Wednesday evening.
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President William Ruto earlier revealed that the Indian government had offered to assist with the repatriation process at Kenya’s request.
A government and family delegation, led by Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, has been tasked with coordinating the return of Odinga’s remains.
The President further announced that a national committee to oversee the former Prime Minister’s funeral arrangements would be co-chaired by Deputy President Kithure Kindiki and Siaya Senator Oburu Oginga, Raila’s elder brother.
Ruto also declared a seven-day national mourning period, directing that the national flag be flown at half-mast across the country and at all Kenyan missions abroad until Odinga’s interment. In his address, Ruto stated that Raila Odinga will be accorded a state funeral with full honours.
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So sad