Doctors in India have confirmed that former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga died from a massive cardiac arrest after nearly two hours of unsuccessful resuscitation efforts.
According to Dr Sista Fons, a cardiologist at the hospital where Odinga was admitted, the 80-year-old collapsed during a morning walk at Sreedhareeyam, an Ayurvedic treatment facility in Kerala, where he had been receiving care.
“He was brought to our emergency department around 8:20 a.m. after a sudden collapse,” Dr Fons said. “His doctor and security team were with him. We immediately began CPR and performed emergency intubation to help him breathe.”
The medical team reported that Odinga had no detectable pulse or blood pressure upon arrival. After continued CPR, doctors briefly detected a faint heart rhythm showing ST elevation — a sign of a severe heart attack.
“We noticed regional wall motion abnormalities, which indicated part of his heart was not pumping properly,” Dr Fons explained. “We administered an injection of Retinoplase, a drug that helps dissolve blood clots in the coronary arteries.”
However, the doctors said Odinga’s pre-existing health conditions made recovery extremely difficult.
“He was diabetic, hypertensive, and had chronic kidney disease,” Dr Fons revealed. “He also had a history of deep vein thrombosis in his right leg, for which an IVC filter had been inserted. Recently, he had developed a thin subdural haematoma that was under neurosurgical review.”
Despite continuous efforts by a team of specialists, Odinga could not be revived.
“CPR was started at Sreedhareeyam at 8 a.m. and continued until 9:52 a.m. in our ICU,” Dr Fons said. “In spite of our very sincere and coordinated efforts, we were unable to save him.”
Odinga’s death has sent shockwaves across Africa, marking the end of a political era for one of the continent’s most influential statesmen.
