INDIA. Medics who attended to former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga have revealed that he suffered a massive cardiac arrest and could not be revived despite nearly two hours of continuous resuscitation efforts.
Dr. Sista Fons, a cardiologist at the hospital where Odinga was admitted, said the 80-year-old was brought in around 8:20 a.m. after collapsing during a morning walk at Sreedhareeyam, an Ayurvedic facility in Kerala ,India where he had been receiving treatment.
“He was brought to our casualty emergency medicine department with active CPR after a sudden collapse,” Dr. Fons explained. “His doctor and security were with him, and we continued CPR and did emergency intubation, putting a tube in the respiratory system.”
The doctor said there was initially no pulse or blood pressure recordable. “After intubation and continued CPR, we shifted the patient to our ICU. At one point, the monitor showed some rhythm with ST elevation in the anterior ECG leads, and we observed regional wall motion abnormalities,” she said.
According to Dr. Fons, the team administered an injection of Retinoplase, a thrombolytic drug used to dissolve blood clots, after detecting signs of blockage in the coronary arteries.
Odinga’s pre-existing health conditions complicated the case. “He was diabetic, hypertensive, and had chronic kidney disease. He also had right lower limb deep vein thrombosis (DVT) for which he was put on an IVC filter,” Dr. Fons revealed. “Recently, he had a thin subdural hematoma, which was being followed up by a neurosurgeon.”
Despite coordinated efforts from the ICU team and the accompanying neurosurgeon, Odinga could not be resuscitated.
“CPR was continued from 8 o’clock at Sreedhareeyam till 9:52 in our ICU. In spite of our very sincere and continued CPR and other measures, we couldn’t make him survive,” Dr. Fons said.
“We are very sorry to inform that he is no more with us. Our sincere condolences and prayers to his family and to the Kenyan people.”
Odinga, who passed away earlier on Wednesday , had travelled to India for medical treatment. His death has sparked an outpouring of grief across Kenya , East African region and the world , where he was widely respected as a veteran statesman and reform leader.