My name is Jacqueline Villalobos, I am a master’s student in the Mechanical Engineering:
BioMechanical Design track at TU Delft. Currently, I am doing my internship at the Moi Teaching
and Referral Hospital (MTRH) in Eldoret, Kenya continuing the implementation of 3D printing at
the hospital and expanding it to the Orthopedic Technology department. The Moi Teaching and
Referral Hospital is the second largest public hospital in the country of Kenya and finds itself in
the city of Eldoret. Patients from different parts of Kenya come to MTRH to get various
treatments due to its prestige and available treatments. There are limitations in treatment and
medical equipment because MTRH finds itself in a low-resource setting where varying medical
technologies are not easily available due to their high-cost and the hospital's limited resources.
This project aims to utilize 3D printing as a tool to help provide a sustainable solution for
medical equipment. 3D printing will serve to help manufacture medical tools, along with the
feasibility of 3D printing in the long-term for MRTH. Currently MTRH has two 3D printers in the
Biomedical Engineering department which have been able to print various medical equipment
from connectors to tubing for various departments such as Renal, Dental, NICU, Occupational
therapy and operating rooms. As this 3D printing has progressed, I would like to expand this to
the Orthopedics Technology department, so that they can start printing their own supportive
devices. The Orthopedics technology staff creates all their devices by hand thus having the
prototyping expertise; with learning 3D printing this paves the way to creating their own
supportive devices. Currently, I have been giving trainings to the Orthopedic Technology staff on
designing with Fusion360 where they have gotten familiar with the interface and basic functions.
The goal is for 3D printing to not rely on outside support only, but for it to continue sustainably
through local companies and resources. As 3D printing software and design practice is needed,
I have sourced Kenyan company, AfyaFab. AfyaFab will source the 3D printer, set up and teach
3D printer trouble shooting, along with designing and processing parts for printing. The
implementation of 3D printing in the Orthopedic Technology department can help make orthosis,
prostheses, supportive and corrective devices more affordable and accessible for patients
throughout Kenya.
3D-printing at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital
