A candid chat with reigning biomedical engineer of the year
What you need to know:
- This is not a job for the faint hearted. To start with, most of the funds allocated to hospitals never get to us.
- This has greatly affected staff morale and left most engineers discouraged because of poor pay. There is also a lot of bias when it comes to employment opportunities.
- Some of these hospitals prefer to employ an electrician instead of a qualified biomedical engineer due to family ties or some other reasons.
Daniel Mudhama had always wanted to be a hotelier. However, this changed after he sat his Kenya Certificate Secondary Education in 1992. Last year, he was crowned the best and most resourceful biomedical engineer of the year by health CAS Dr Mercy Mwangangi. He has over 20 years of experience in repair and maintenance of hospital equipment and machines, and he previously worked at Kisii Teaching and Referral Hospital.
Why biomedical engineering?
I always wanted a career in hotel management but after high school, my parents and close friends convinced me to take up biomedical engineering, a career I have grown to love. As a young boy, I enjoyed repairing machines. I would mend any broken instruments I came across. I think that is what made my family believe that I could do well as an engineer.
Take us through your career journey…
After KCSE in 1994, I joined Kilifi Hospital Maintenance Training School for a certificate course in biomedical engineering. After my graduation in 1997, I worked for 10 months at the Kisii Teaching and Referral hospital and later transferred to the New Nyanza General Hospital, now Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH). I later enrolled for a degree course in biomedical engineering at Egerton University in 2005 and resumed duty at JOOTRH upon graduation in 2008.
What does your role entail?
I operate and repair broken hospital machines, and also maintain and check their efficiency. I handle the critical care and therapeutic machines, including new born baby unit machines, X-rays, lab machines, dental equipment, oxygen plants and ventilators.
What do you love most about your job?
The fact that I can comfortably repair hospital equipment and machines so that we don’t have to import such services from other developed countries gives me a lot of satisfaction. Many people still don’t understand this job while some think it has limited employment opportunities, which is not true.
What have been the key turning points in your career journey?
Being crowned the best and most resourceful biomedical engineer of the year was definitely my biggest moment. The recognition was a great motivation especially considering the fact that I beat 5,000 other practitioners. It was the first time such an award had been given and I hope to retain the title.
What are some of the challenges you face in your line of duty?
This is not a job for the faint hearted. To start with, most of the funds allocated to hospitals never get to us. This has greatly affected staff morale and left most engineers discouraged because of poor pay. There is also a lot of bias when it comes to employment opportunities. Some of these hospitals prefer to employ an electrician instead of a qualified biomedical engineer due to family ties or some other reasons.
The less qualified people who secure employment in turn destroy the machines leaving the few qualified engineers with a whole lot of work to do. A number of health centres also always settle for cheap, poor quality appliances and avoid consulting us before purchasing them. This leads to frequent break downs which leaves us with so much work to do.
What are some of the lessons you have learnt during your practice?
I have learnt is to be resilient in whatever I do and give it the best shot. The going will often get tough but I never allow that to discourage me. I believe my purpose in this world is to solve every biomedical engineering challenge that comes my way.
What do you enjoy doing during your free time?
Listening to music, going for nature walks, spending time with close friends and supervising the matatu business I started four years ago. I own three vehicles operating within Kisumu County. Before joining college, I worked with my dad in a matatu business and was even a driver at some point. I learnt a lot during the time and vowed to begin my own matatu business once I got employed.
Your advice to someone who wants to become a biomedical engineer?
First, you need to perform well in sciences. For those who end up scoring lower grades in secondary schools, there is still hope. We have so many colleges offering biomedical engineering courses from certificate to degree level. After training, it is important to find attachment at a hospital for at least one year, whether it is a paying engagement or not. This will help one make use of the skills they learnt. Engineering is all about practice.
Personal interest is a key factor to consider before enrolling for a biomedical engineering course. We often work in a dirty environment, fixing and mending broken machines which leaves us exhausted and drained. This is not the ideal work for those who like working from the comfort of their offices.
