Saidi Hassan

Surgeon and Chairman of the University of Nairobi's Department of Human Anatomy. Born in Nairobi, Kenya, on Aug 3, 1965, he died of cancer in Nairobi on Aug 29, 2017, aged 52 years.

Saidi Hassan was a teacher, but also a lifelong student, completing a doctorate in surgery from the University of Nairobi just last year. Colleagues said he was not pursuing education for its own sake, but for the opportunity to improve his skills and to acquire knowledge he could share. “He had an idea of impacting others”, said Daniel Ojuka, a lecturer in the University of Nairobi's Department of Surgery. “His interest was in developing people.”

Peter Gichangi, an Associate Professor in the University of Nairobi's Department of Human Anatomy, said Hassan had that impulse from an early age. Hassan and Gichangi attended medical school together at the University of Nairobi in the 1980s, where they were both selected for special training in human anatomy. Over the course of the training, Gichangi said Hassan was constantly thinking about how the course could be improved for future students. “By the time he finished, he was convinced that we need people who have a clinical background to teach anatomy”, Gichangi said, reflecting his concerns that the people teaching the course only had academic experience. “It would mean that the clinician would present the anatomy in a manner that makes sense to a person who finally becomes a doctor. That drove him to join the department and teach anatomy from the perspective of a clinician”, Gichangi said.

Hassan joined the Department of Human Anatomy at the University of Nairobi in 1996 and rose quickly, becoming Chairman in 2011. The year before he was named an Associate Dean of the university's School of Medicine. At the same time, he followed through on the commitment he had expressed to Gichangi years before, continuing to work as a general and laparoscopic surgeon at Kenyatta National Hospital and Aga Khan University Hospital, both in Nairobi.

Hassan's students said he was a committed teacher, willing to interrupt almost anything he was doing to answer their questions or provide support. “He basically treated them like his own children”, said Nelly Bosire, a specialist obstetrician gynaecologist, who met Hassan during her internship at Kenyatta National Hospital. “He socialised with them. He was happy to open his door and welcome them into his home.” But his students said Hassan also emphasised that there was a responsibility that came with their education. “You could go to him with an idea and he asked you, ‘What are you looking at achieving with it? How will it help the institution or the hospital?’”, said Benjamin Wabwire, a surgeon, who worked under Hassan during one of his clinical rotations. “He would encourage you not to do things just because it's a requirement, but you've got to do them for a reason.”

Hassan helped revive the Surgical Society of Kenya, serving as its Chairman from 2013 to 2015, and was the driving force behind the launch of the Annals of African Surgery, the Society's journal. Ojuka said he questioned Hassan's decision to start the journal, wondering whether regional doctors would be willing to contribute. But he said Hassan was convinced they would take advantage of the opportunity to share their research. It turned out, Ojuka said, Hassan was right. The biannual publication has been running since 2007 and Hassan remained its Editor in Chief until his death. “He was instrumental in growing it to one of the continent's premier surgical reads”, said Associate Editor James Kigera. “He worked hard towards indexing of the journal and was instrumental in having the journal join the African Journal Partnership Program, which has helped grow its profile.”

Later in his career, Gichangi said Hassan became concerned about trauma cases in Kenya, especially the lack of understanding of where and how they were happening. Hassan decided to pursue a PhD in surgery at the University of Nairobi and used the opportunity to help create a registry of trauma cases, with the idea that it could help guide national strategy for addressing the issue. “What set him apart from the rest of the regular clinicians and surgeons is that he was in pursuit of excellence in the things he did”, Gichangi said.

Hassan made time, though, to help develop Kibera, the slum in Nairobi where he was born. Colleagues said he helped parents living in Kibera find schools for their children and was involved in developing projects to improve sanitation in the community. Gichangi said Hassan was also an avid basketball player who encouraged his colleagues to leave the office to get exercise. Hassan is survived by his wife, Husna Hassan, and three sons, Asad, Harith, and Thuwain.

SOURCE :: http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(17)32489-3/fulltext 

Lessons on mentorship

Despite the fact that his funeral took place within 24 hours as his religion requires, Prof Saidi will be mourned for a very long time.

I met Prof Saidi after I completed medical school, while doing my internship at the Kenyatta National Hospital. He was one of the consultant surgeons in my surgical rotation and despite our interaction lasting only six weeks, he left a lifetime impression.

Many other colleagues were far luckier than I. Prof Saidi taught them anatomy, a cornerstone course in medicine, in their first year of school. He later taught them surgery during their clinical rotations.

YOUNG PROFESSOR

Every single person who interacted with Prof Saidi had exactly the same things to say about him. A brilliant mind with the utmost humility. He made everyone feel at ease and would demonstrate the most complex human body anatomy with such simplicity and ease that left his students awed.

At a young age, he earned his professorship, an achievement that is no mean feat in the world of medicine. He brought about such positive change in the department of anatomy in the University of Nairobi that he will forever be remembered for.

At a personal level, he inspired hundreds of his students to be better doctors, researchers and teachers through mentorship. He never hesitated to take calls from his resident doctors who consulted on patients even when he was not on call.

Prof Saidi spent the last eight years of his life battling a rare cancer that had no cure. By the time of diagnosis, he was at the point of no return. Instead of feeling sorry for himself and seeking sympathy, he took the high road. He made peace with the fact that death was imminent and he only had a few years left.

In eight years, he became a professor, headed the department of anatomy, did research and published numerous papers to his credit, mentored hundreds of young doctors and treated thousands of patients.

At a personal level, he secured the future of his family, knowing he would not be around long enough to see his babies grow to manhood. Over and above his immediate family, he contributed greatly towards the community that raised him, giving something back when most of us wouldn’t even think to. He supported the Nubian University Students’ Organisation, Madrasatul Falaah Society and the Haiba Foundation in Kibra.

It is hard to imagine that one soul could achieve so much is such a short time and yet the Kenyan public that he served so diligently had never heard of him. It is a wonder that he had never been awarded a presidential recognition for such selfless service. This must make us re-look at our societal values and what we hold as important.

MENTORSHIP LASTS A LIFETIME

In the field of medicine, mentorship is such an integral part of the profession. It is clearly upheld in the Hippocratic Oath, just to emphasise how critical it is. Beyond the undergraduate degree level, continued learning is more focused on apprenticeship, acquiring skills beyond the books, by observing your seniors and learning the tricks of the profession.

But aside from acquiring knowledge from books and skills from practising under supervision for years, the one thing that lasts a lifetime is mentorship.

We learn how to conduct ourselves in the profession through mentorship, to uphold ethics and dignity from those gone before us and to practise humility in the care of our patients by reaching out in consultation with our colleagues.

It therefore amazes me when a patient concludes that their doctor is unqualified because they dared to pick up the phone and consult a colleague before writing that prescription. Or that they called in another doctor to review the patient before coming to a conclusion. In medicine, learning never stops.

Doctors will even hold conferences to discuss special cases that require more attention. That is being a good doctor.

'FITNESS TO PRACTICE'

The danger in private practice especially where doctors do not belong to a structured setting, is that it is easy for a doctor to get caught up in their world and miss out on the rapid advances in medicine. It is incumbent upon them to make an effort to interact with others so as to keep abreast on the new developments. But aside from that, in moments when a doctor is worried about their patient and they do not feel too confident, knowing that there is a mentor a phone call away to consult with makes all the difference.

Doctors are also human. They face the same challenges as other people. They suffer from depression, broken families, addictions, financial challenges, parental inadequacies, ill health and death. Coupled with the very demanding job they do, it is easy to hit breaking point. Current research shows alarmingly high evidence of suicide among doctors the world over. Strong support systems are necessary to ensure they scale these heights with ease and remain productive and safe to their patients.

Currently in Kenya, the regulatory body for doctors, The Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Board has put in place a robust “Fitness to Practice” committee to support doctors in need. The Kenya Medical Association has also set up a support system to reach out to doctors countrywide who are in need of support.

It costs a lot to train a doctor. This should motivate us to do all that is possible to keep the doctor fit to serve. Mentorship does not cost much. It does not take away from the mentor, it is a two-way enrichment for both parties. I do not know who Prof Saidi looked up to when he needed a shoulder to lean on professionally but he has taught all of us something that we should aspire to be.

In his honour, the least we could do as colleagues in the profession is to step into his shoes in our own small ways and mentor those who come after us.

SOURCE:
http://www.nation.co.ke/health/Lessons-on-mentorship/3476990-4082122-w8mu9jz/index.html 

Tribute for Prof. Hassan Saidi

As a society we are yet to come to terms with the passing on of Prof. Saidi Hassan which occurred on 29^th August 2017. He first served in the Council as a member, later came up the rank as a secretary where he served for some years and was then elected as the Vice president in 2011 – 2013. He then took over as the President in 2013 – 2015 which he handed over in 2015 March. During his tenure he was the Editor in Chief of the society journal the Annals of African Surgery, which he pioneered effortlessly till his death.

Prof. Saidi was born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya. He performed well in his formative studies before joining the University of Nairobi to study Medicine. He performed exemplarily well in Human Anatomy in his first year and was enrolled in the prestigious course of B.Sc. Human Anatomy, from which he graduated with honors. His notable teachers of Anatomy include the late Prof. Joseph Mungai and the late Prof. James Kimani. Prof. Saidi thereafter completed his undergraduate medical training before enrolling in a Masters of Medicine program in Surgery. During this period, he was employed as an assistant lecturer in the Department of Human Anatomy. On completion of his master’s degree training, he was promoted to the position of lecturer. He held this position for three years before advancing to become a senior lecturer and subsequently an associate professor of Anatomy in 2011.

He was an excellent teacher of Anatomy, with a thirty-year experience in instruction and teaching Human Anatomy at the University of Nairobi, Aga Khan University Nairobi and University of Pennsylvania. He has mastery of Embryology, Gross Anatomy, Histology and molecular biology, with Surgical anatomy as his pet subject. Prof. Hassan Saidi taught over 4000 undergraduate medical students, supervised over 40 B.Sc. Anatomy students, 30 Master of Medicine Surgery students, 4 Master of Anatomy students. He mentored many renowned surgeons, doctors and clinical officers.
Prof. Hassan Saidi was able to publish over 60 high impact peer reviewed articles in local and international journals. His research activity focused on clinical anatomy in all its aspects, trauma, oncology and surgery of the digestive tract. He published a book on histology and was in the process of publishing a text book of Surgical Anatomy. Prof. Hassan Saidi held many leadership roles in the University of Nairobi, initially as a course coordinator and rising to become the chairman of thematic areas within the department. He was the substantive Chairman of the Department of Human Anatomy until the time of his death. Prof. Hassan Saidi was also the associate dean, Preclinical departments of the University of Nairobi. During his tenure as a chairman, he shepherded the establishment of the Nairobi Surgical Skills Centre, publication of the Kimani’s Histology Text and Atlas, Establishment of the Anatomy Journal of Africa, supported staff development, training and promotion as well as supporting many local and international staff retreats.

Prof. Hassan Saidi was a celebrated general and laparoscopic surgeon in Nairobi, Kenya. He was a fellow, American College of Surgeons. He was actively involved in the residency training in the University of Nairobi, Kenyatta National Hospital and Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi. His contributions to the surgical fraternity in Kenya included promotion of resident training in major teaching hospitals, promotion of research and grants locally, revamping the annual Surgical Society of Kenya retreats, promoting the Annual Surgical Society of Kenya Free surgical camps, linkages with the American College of Surgeons and establishment of the biannual Annals of African Surgery. It is through his leaderships skills that Surgical Society of Kenya has been able to successfully partner with the University of Nairobi in various projects.

Prof Hassan indeed had many friends. He definitely did not know all of them, but yet he would never deny any genuine person seeking assistance. Taking time to engage with different age groups and this he did effortlessly. An opportunity to watch football, play some basketball or just have a ‘chat’ (always very insightful and refreshing) over some coffee snack was a sought-after opportunity by many. In his 36hr day, he would still find time to call up and catch up with his friends, his objective to savour every moment with friends to improve them in one way or another. What better HE WAS!
Prof. Hassan Saidi was married, with three sons. He was actively involved in charity and volunteer activities through HAIBA foundation and other charity groups. He was a mentor, a great teacher, researcher and a surgeon.

He surely fought a good fight and finished the race. He will be missed by many!
#ProfSaidiHassan #RIPProfSaidiHassan

SOURCE : http://www.ssk.or.ke/2017/09/15/tribute-for-prof-hassan-saidi/