KISUMU, Kenya – Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) is on course to become a national teaching and referral facility, a move that will see it designated as a state corporation.
The Cabinet, chaired by President William Ruto, approved the hospital’s elevation on Tuesday during a meeting at State House, Nairobi.
Once formalized, JOOTRH will join the ranks of Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) in Nairobi, solidifying its status as a top-tier public healthcare institution.
Located in Kisumu, the facility is named after Kenya’s first Vice President, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga. Established in 1969, it has grown into a critical health hub for western Kenya and beyond.
JOOTRH was designated as a Level 6 facility in 2024 following an assessment by the Kenya Health Professional Oversight Authority (KHPOA), the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC), and the Nursing Council of Kenya.
The hospital scored 85% in the evaluation, reflecting significant improvements in infrastructure and service delivery.
According to the Kisumu County Government, the hospital met all key benchmarks required for elevation, including specialized medical services, functional theaters, an intensive care unit (ICU), and a teaching hospital affiliation.
Currently, JOOTRH operates 11 theaters—covering general, accident and emergency, and maternity services—alongside a 13-bed ICU and adult and pediatric oncology services.
It also serves as a training ground for medical students from Maseno and Uzima Universities.
Despite its progress, the assessment team flagged several areas needing improvement. Key recommendations include:
- Upgrading waste management systems, including adding more segregation bins and designated waste disposal lines.
- Expanding the emergency and accident department to handle growing patient numbers.
- Increasing staffing levels, including critical care nurses, general nurses, medical officers, specialists, and interns.
- Replacing the outpatient section’s asbestos roof, which poses health risks, with an environmentally friendly alternative.
- Enhancing documentation in inpatient wards for better patient records.
While the Cabinet has approved JOOTRH’s elevation, it remains unclear whether the recommended improvements—particularly budgetary allocations—have been addressed prior to the decision.
The move to upgrade JOOTRH marks a significant milestone in Kenya’s healthcare system, promising enhanced services for patients in western Kenya and reinforcing the hospital’s role as a key medical training center.
