Senate to push for transformation and upgrade of Jaramogi Hospital

The Senate Health Committee has assured that they will push for the full transformation and upgrade of  Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital among other facilities to level 6.

The Senate committee led by Chairman Jackson Mandago said they will engage the national government and Health ministry to fast-track the process

" I am quite in agreement with the upgrading of this facility because looking at the geographical region and population and having numbers of patients trooping at the facility from different counties."

He said  JOOTRH deserve the upgrade not only for the purpose of treatment but also for training more health workers.

The assurance comes following concerns by the leaders on the need to upgrade the facility to be taken over by the national government and given adequate funding to offer quality services.

According to Kisumu Deputy Governor Matthews Owili, they had already made a plea to the national government to have the facility upgraded in the previous regime.

Owili said they are looking forward to the elevation of the facility, saying such a move will come with many advantages.

“We have quite a number of patients getting treatment from facilities outside this region. I think its time for us to make it happen for the sake of the people so that the treatment they are seeking elsewhere will be provided right here,” he said.

He said they started pushing this matter before last year's election.

The facility, which is one of the oldest, was built and officially opened in 1969.

According to the county assembly Health committee chairman Vincent Jagongo, upgrading the facility will enable the county to address the challenges of staffing and a budget from the National government to take care of the patient not only for Kisumu but other counties who visit the facility.

He noted that the facility was surviving on only the Kisumu county budget yet it was serving counties across the region.

"When it's managed by the national government, then adequate funds will be allocated to the hospital to offer quality services."

The Senate committee is currently conducting an inspection tour of county referral hospitals in the Western region.

The committee will on Thursday be in Nyamira where it will also hold a meeting with county officials and health workers before touring Nyamira County Referral Hospital.

On Friday, the committee will be in Kisii to meet officials and health workers before visiting Kisii Level 5 Hospital.