The woman who puts you to sleep, then fights to bring you back

Dr Janet Onchong’a was called to perform an urgent impromptu procedure just minutes before our interview. “I am so sorry I have to go. I promise it will not take long, please just give me an hour and I will be back,” she requested apologetically. Donned in a pair of black scrubs, comfortable shoes and bag strapped on her shoulder, off she bounced, her steps carrying her with a balance of grace and urgency. As she stepped into the operating theatre, the world outside carried on, but for her, the atmosphere was still, measured and almost sacred. Despite its importance, anaesthesia remains one of the least understood medical fields. “People think we just put patients to sleep,” she says, shaking her head. “But anaesthesia is what allows surgery to happen safely.” Anaesthesiologists are also responsible for critical care and pain management, including epidurals during labour. “There’s a dire need for awareness and advocacy,” she says. In her capacity, Janet is determined to change the narrative. At Aga Khan University Hospital, where she now works as an independent contractor, she has taken two mentees under her wing.