Consultants at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) have taken the lead in shaping a new strategy to bridge the hospital’s specialist gap and expand access to highly specialized medical services for patients in Western Kenya and beyond.
During a consultative engagement on the hospital’s clinical direction, the consultants—who are at the frontline of delivering specialized care—identified critical gaps in specialist services and proposed areas that JOOTRH should prioritize as it continues its transformation into a Level 6A National Teaching and Referral Hospital.
The discussions focused on not only recruiting more specialists, but also creating the infrastructure, theatre capacity, accountability systems and patient-flow mechanisms needed to support the growing range of complex services being offered at the hospital. According to JOOTRH Acting Director of Clinical Services, Dr Paul Mitei, the hospital still faces a significant shortage of specialists. “In terms of specialization, we still have a gap. Out of the staff establishment of 180 consultants, we only have 67, so we have a long way to go,” Dr Mitei said.
He, however, noted that the hospital had made considerable progress compared with the previous year and was developing a gradual recruitment plan to close the gap. “We are not where we were before. We are not a year ago and where we are today, but we are making a lot of efforts so that we have enough money to employ more specialists gradually,” he said. Dr Mitei said the hospital could begin by recruiting about 50 specialists in the next financial year, followed by additional recruitment in subsequent years until the establishment is achieved.
The push for more specialists comes as JOOTRH expands the range of complex medical and surgical services available to patients who previously had to travel outside the region for treatment.
The hospital currently lists specialized services including neurosurgery, cardiothoracic surgery, orthopaedic and trauma surgery, paediatric surgery, ENT, ophthalmic surgery, urology, maxillofacial and reconstructive surgery, oncology, nephrology, critical care and cardiology, among others. JOOTRH has also made significant strides in highly specialized care.
In September 2025, its Victoria Annex became the site of Kenya’s first automated red blood cell exchange in a public hospital, providing an advanced treatment option for patients living with sickle cell disease. The facility is now being developed as a regional centre for sickle cell disease and haematology care.
The hospital has since expanded the service, with the Victoria Annex reporting increased numbers of children and adults accessing red-cell exchange therapy. In other major milestone, JOOTRH is ready for its first open-heart surgery in Kisumu, marking a significant expansion of cardiothoracic services in the region. The hospital says its cardiac programme includes cardiology clinics, echocardiography, ECG and stress testing, cardiac catheterisation and open-heart surgery.
These developments form part of the wider transformation being championed by Ag Chief Executive Officer Dr Joshua Clinton Okise, who told the consultants that specialization remains central to JOOTRH's strategic direction. Dr Okise said the hospital was focused on enhancing access to high-quality specialized healthcare, improving efficiency in referral pathways and patient flow, and strengthening research, training and the adoption of innovative medical practices.
He described specialized healthcare as a critical component of the hospital’s evolution, involving advanced treatment of specific organ systems, disease categories and patient populations by clinicians with extensive additional training. The hospital's official service portfolio now includes specialized medical care in areas such as oncology and palliative care, nephrology, internal medicine, mental health, haematology and sickle cell disease management, alongside its expanding surgical specialties.
The consultants also identified the expansion of theatre capacity as a priority, arguing that additional operating spaces would be necessary to accommodate the increasing number and complexity of surgical procedures. JOOTRH's surgical services currently bring together general, orthopaedic, cardiothoracic, neurosurgical, paediatric, ENT, ophthalmic and emergency surgery, supported by critical care and anaesthesia services.
The consultants further proposed measures to decongest the consultant clinics, improve coordination of referrals and establish stronger accountability mechanisms for specialist services.
