Devamatha: Inside the Indian Hospital Where Raila Odinga Died

KOOTHATTUKULAM, India

When former Prime Minister Raila Odinga collapsed during a morning walk at an Ayurvedic hospital in Kerala on Wednesday morning, medical staff immediately administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation before rushing him to nearby Devamatha Hospital . Despite the frantic efforts of emergency personnel, the 80-year-old political titan was pronounced dead shortly after arrival, succumbing to cardiac arrest  that would send shockwaves across Kenya and the African continent.

Devamatha Hospital, the Catholic-run institution where Kenya’s opposition leader breathed his last, sits in the quiet town of Koothattukulam in Kerala’s Ernakulam district. Far from the gleaming multi-billion shilling medical complexes that typically treat visiting heads of state, this 250-bed facility has built its reputation not on opulence but on compassionate care rooted in Christian values and a commitment to accessible healthcare.

The hospital was established in 1975 to commemorate the birth centenary of its founder, Venerable Mar Thomas Kurialacherry, and was solemnly blessed on February 14 of that year by the then Bishop of Palai . What began as a modest 20-bed facility staffed by just two doctors and 14 nurses has grown into a multi-specialty institution offering 100 functional beds from its sanctioned capacity of 250 .

Today, the hospital is supported by 25 senior doctors, 74 nurses, 30 nun sisters, 20 office staff members, and 80 paramedical personnel . Its departments span the full spectrum of modern medicine: general medicine, diabetology, cardiology, orthopedics, neurology, obstetrics, gynecology, and its particularly renowned gastroenterology center, which has earned the facility widespread recognition across central Kerala.

The hospital’s Emergency and Trauma Care Unit operates around the clock, a capability that proved crucial in the desperate moments after Raila collapsed. The unit is known for its well-trained staff and rapid response protocols , though on this October morning, even their best efforts could not reverse the catastrophic cardiac event that had seized Kenya’s most enduring political figure.

Devamatha’s founding vision, rooted in Catholic faith and social service, continues to shape its mission . The institution describes its work as a continuation of the “ministry of healing” inspired by the teachings of Jesus Christ, viewing medical care as both art and science aimed at alleviating human suffering. The hospital maintains that “the patient is the most important person” and that every activity within the facility is directed toward this patient-centered philosophy .

The hospital is accredited under the NABH Entry Level program , India’s national healthcare quality certification, and offers services across multiple specialties including oncology, rheumatology, urology, ear-nose-throat treatment, pediatrics, and endocrinology. Beyond hospital-based care, the facility also operates a hospice for the elderly and disabled orphans and actively engages in community health programs, medical camps, seminars, and health education initiatives .

Raila had arrived in India on October 4 after suffering a minor stroke in Kenya, initially receiving treatment at a Mumbai hospital before flying to Kochi . He had been staying at the Sreedhareeyam Ayurvedic Eye Hospital and Research Centre, an institution that held personal significance for the Odinga family. In 2019, his daughter Rosemary Odinga had regained her eyesight after receiving treatment at the same facility, a success story that drew global attention and was even mentioned by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi .

Sources at Sreedhareeyam said Raila had arrived in a wheelchair but showed encouraging signs of recovery after beginning Ayurvedic therapy, having started walking short distances again with stable vitals and improved overall condition . It was during one of these morning walks, around 8:30 a.m. Indian time, that tragedy struck.

Raila was accompanied by his sister, daughter, a personal doctor, and both Indian and Kenyan security officers when he suddenly collapsed . The medical team’s swift response in transporting him to Devamatha Hospital, barely five kilometers away, represented a desperate final attempt to save a life that had defined Kenyan politics for more than four decades.

The hospital’s mortuary, which includes a modern deep-freezing facility, now holds Raila’s body as arrangements for repatriation to Kenya proceed . Local police have taken charge of the necessary formalities, working in coordination with the Kenyan Embassy in New Delhi and Kenya’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In Nairobi, President William Ruto declared a seven-day period of national mourning, with flags flying at half-mast across the country and at Kenyan missions abroad. The veteran politician, who had unsuccessfully contested the presidency five times between 1997 and 2022, had expressed wishes to be buried within 72 hours of his death, setting in motion urgent preparations for his final journey home.

For Devamatha Hospital, the death of such a prominent international figure thrusts an otherwise quiet medical institution into the global spotlight. Yet the facility’s staff, guided by their mission to serve regardless of “caste, creed, and color,” performed their duties as they would for any patient, offering the same emergency care and compassionate attention that has defined the hospital’s half-century of service to the people of Kerala.

As Kenya mourns the loss of its political colossus, Devamatha Hospital in Koothattukulam will be forever remembered as the place where Raila Amolo Odinga’s extraordinary life came to its final chapter, far from the political battlegrounds of Nairobi but cared for in the final moments by hands committed to the ancient art of healing.