The Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) has been elevated to Level 6 and will now operate as a government parastatal under Kisumu County.
Kisumu Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o elevated the facility through executive order number 1 of 2024.
The hospital will now be handling referrals from within and outside Kisumu County.
JOOTRH is the oldest and most developed medical facility servicing a catchment regional population of over 10 million people in the Lake Basin region.
The facility also trains doctors, nurses, as well as other medical and health science professionals in collaboration with institutions of higher learning such as the University of Nairobi, Maseno University, and Uzima University.
Governor Nyong’o ordered the JOOTRH board of management to operational autonomy in the general management and administration of the facility based on the constitutional and statutory principles of integrity, good governance, professionalism, and public accountability.
He also directed the JOOTRH board to establish its own governance strategy and policy direction.
“That pursuant to its instrument of appointment, the Board shall operate with autonomy in establishing and defining its own governance, strategy and policy directions including in regards to issues of its financial capacities such as audit, banking, capitalization, procurements, as well as asset and investments, as is necessary for the execution of its mandate,” the Kisumu Governor directed.
The hospital currently runs on own-source revenue, donor funds, and allocations from the County Government of Kisumu.
The elevation will now see the facility attract more funding with enhanced National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) bed reimbursement.
In a statement by the hospital CEO Dr. Richard Lesiyampe said the facility plans to expand its bed capacity to at least 760 beds, ensuring that it can meet the growing healthcare needs of the region.
