I Swear by Apollo by Margaret Ogola

About Margaret Ogola

I Swear by Apollo by Margaret Ogola

As a practising paediatrician, Margaret Ogola brought rare authenticity to this novel about the world of medicine in Kenya. The title refers to the ancient physician's oath, and the novel's central question is what that oath means when the systems supporting it — hospitals, politics, medical ethics, personal conscience — are all under strain. The protagonist navigates the gap between the idealism of medical training and the harsh realities of practising medicine in a developing country with inadequate resources, corrupt administrators, and desperate patients. The novel also explores themes of faith, personal integrity, and the cost of maintaining principles in a compromised environment. It is a thoughtful, humane, and often moving portrait of Kenya's healthcare world from the inside.