Medics at the Bondo Sub-County Hospital are celebrating what they termed a “medical miracle” following the successful delivery and discharge of a baby born through a rare and life-threatening abdominal ectopic pregnancy.
The patient, Nancy Akinyi Omondi from Kipasi, and her newborn daughter, Violet Atieno, were officially discharged after nearly two months of specialized, round-the-clock clinical care.
Abdominal pregnancy is an extremely rare condition occurring in only about one in 10,000 pregnancies globally, where the fertilized egg implants and develops outside the uterus within the abdominal cavity. Medical statistics indicate that only 10 percent of babies born under such conditions survive.
Speaking during a warm send-off ceremony at the facility, Siaya County Chief Officer for Health, Dr. Omondi Owino, praised the clinical team for their swift action and expertise.
”We are gathered here not merely to witness a discharge from hospital, but to celebrate life, to celebrate resilience, teamwork, and clinical excellence,” Dr. Owino said.
Nancy arrived at the Bondo facility on April 4, 2026, complaining of severe abdominal inflammation and pain. Following a rigorous clinical assessment, the medical team diagnosed the rare 28-week abdominal pregnancy and triggered emergency protocols.
Medics successfully performed a delicate surgical procedure to extract the baby girl, who weighed just 1,000 grams (1 kilogram) at birth.
The hospital’s In-Charge and Consultant Obstetrician Gynecologist, Dr. Evans Ogoti, noted that diagnosing and managing abdominal ectopics is immensely challenging.
”Thanks to our expert team of health workers through all departments that the patient went through, we were able to diagnose this and follow all protocols,” Dr. Ogoti said. “The baby has been in our newborn unit from the beginning of April to date, and she has done quite well. The mother, too, is doing beautifully.”
For Nancy, the realization of her motherhood came as a complete shock. Recalling her harrowing experience, she admitted she had no idea she was carrying a child when she sought treatment.
”I was feeling pain as if my stomach was swollen, so I left home and came to Bondo,” Nancy shared. “The doctor performed an operation and took out a baby. Personally, I didn’t even know I was pregnant. I spent two days lying there without knowing I had a child until the healthcare workers told me, ‘Nancy, your baby is over here.'”
She added that a nurse at the newborn unit helped name the infant Violet Atieno, and expressed profound gratitude to the medical staff for their compassionate care and guidance throughout her stay.
The facility’s newborn care unit successfully managed the baby until she reached a healthy discharge weight of 1.7 kilograms.
Siaya County Reproductive Health Coordinator, Pamela Josephine, emphasized that early prenatal care was the ultimate lifesaver in this case.
”If Nancy did not go for the antenatal clinic, we couldn’t have been in a position to save that life,” Josephine said. “We want to advise any pregnant woman in the community to start their antenatal clinics early.”
Josephine highlighted Siaya County’s major strides in maternal health, revealing that while the national maternal mortality rate stands at 355 deaths per 100,000 live births, Siaya County has slashed its rate to 59 per 100,000 live births ranking it the ninth best overall among Kenya’s 47 counties.
”We are committed to seeing to it that no mother dies out of pregnancy. We want zero mortality,” she stated.
Dr. Owino reiterated the county government’s commitment to boosting healthcare through deliberate infrastructure and human resource investments. He announced upcoming projects for Bondo Sub-County Hospital, including an ultra-modern maternity theater complex and a newborn unit in partnership with Afya House, alongside a planned inpatient complex.
To curb staffing gaps, Dr. Owino revealed plans to deploy additional doctors, nurses, and clinical officers by July, while continuing to sponsor specialist training. Currently, 17 medical doctors from the county are undergoing specialty training, with another medical officer set to begin studies in Obstetrics and Gynecology this September.
Medics confirmed that both mother and baby will receive close follow-up care in the hospital’s postnatal and mother-child healthcare clinics.
