Dr. Iradukunda Jean
Orthopaedic Resident
Tenwek Hospital
Kenya
Answering the Cry for Healing
Psalm 147:3
“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”
The Pan-African Academy of Christian Surgeons (PAACS) is committed to training surgeons and related specialists who bring healing and hope to places where surgical care is often delayed, distant, or unavailable. Among those answering that call is Dr. Iradukunda Jean, an orthopaedic surgery resident whose journey into surgical care was shaped by moments when help came too late.
One such moment has stayed with him.
A young man arrived at the hospital with a severely broken femur after a traumatic injury. The fracture required surgery, but no orthopaedic surgeon was available. The team urgently contacted nearby hospitals, hoping to transfer him. The answer came quickly—no beds.
With no other option, they placed a temporary back slab on his leg and began searching for help elsewhere. Days turned into weeks. The young man waited in the hospital for two months. Eventually, he was given an outpatient appointment, followed by a six-month wait.
When the day finally came, the news was devastating. No surgery would be performed. The young man left the hospital on crutches, his life permanently changed.
Dr. Jean recalls that when he thinks about that patient, he still feels a deep sense of sadness because the young man needed help that simply was not available.
Sadly, stories like this are common across many parts of Africa. Dr. Jean has seen firsthand how patients with bone injuries may wait months before they can see an orthopaedic surgeon. During that time, fractures heal incorrectly, disabilities develop, and lives are altered forever.
Experiences like these shaped Dr. Jean’s calling. While studying medicine, he witnessed how untreated injuries prevented people from working, caring for their families, or living normal lives. One memory that stayed especially close to his heart was a neighbor from his church choir who suffered a road traffic accident and, without timely surgical care, developed a permanent limb contracture.
For Dr. Jean, orthopaedic surgery became more than a profession. It became a response to a deep need.
That calling led him to PAACS, where surgeons and related specialists are trained in both surgical excellence and Christ-centered discipleship. Through the PAACS program at Tenwek Hospital in Kenya, Dr. Jean is being mentored in a community that shapes both his surgical skills and his faith.
Though still early in his training, his purpose is already clear.
Dr. Jean shares that his desire is to serve people who have little or no access to surgical care and to bring healing and hope to those in need.
For those who pray for and support PAACS, Dr. Jean offers heartfelt gratitude. Your partnership is helping train surgeons and related specialists who will stand where care is most needed—preventing disability, restoring dignity, and reminding patients that even in suffering, God has not forgotten them.
