The County Government of Kisumu has entered into a strategic partnership with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Centre (UPMC) and Maseno University to strengthen health systems in the county.
Through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed at a ceremony in Kisumu on Thursday, the three institutions seek to establish a Healthcare and Research Consortium aimed at enhancing maternal health, specialist training, and research.
The initiative will bring together key institutions, including the University of Pittsburgh, UPMC, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching & Referral Hospital (JOOTRH), Maseno University, and the Kisumu County Department of Health, to focus on critical areas such as maternal health, cancer treatment, and infectious diseases.
Kisumu Governor, Prof. Anyang Nyong’o, said the partnership targets scaling up research and skills transfer to ensure health facilities in the county offer world-class services.
In a speech read on his behalf by Deputy Governor, Dr. Mathews Owili, the Governor said the consortium will facilitate advanced skills transfer in specialised surgeries, which are being introduced at JOOTRH.
Additionally, the partnership, he said, will foster joint research projects, doctor-student exchange programs, and infrastructure development, ensuring long-term sustainability in healthcare delivery.
“By investing in specialist training, research, and infrastructure, we are ensuring that the people of Kisumu and beyond will receive the highest quality of care,” he said.
Governor Nyong’o further emphasized the role of postgraduate doctors in the initiative, highlighting the potential for local specialists to gain expertise in previously inaccessible areas.
Formation of the Healthcare and Research Consortium, he said, was a bold step towards positioning Kisumu as a centre of excellence in medical training, research, and innovation.
“The inclusion of postgraduate doctors in this program will be particularly transformative, enabling our local specialists to gain expertise in areas that have historically required patients to seek treatment elsewhere,” he said.
Deputy Governor, Dr. Mathews Owili, lauded the strategic partnership, saying it will not only impact the health sector but also the economy of the Lake Region.
With the upgrading of JOOTRH, he noted, the program will greatly boost medical tourism with specialists and students from other parts of the world coming to do research and benchmark.
The event was graced by Dr. Michelle Batin and Dr. Jennifer Makin from UPMC, who expressed excitement over the collaboration.
UPMC is a leading American integrated global nonprofit health enterprise, renowned for its excellence in patient care, research, and education.
With over 100,000 employees, it operates 40 hospitals and 800 clinical locations, including outpatient sites and doctors’ offices.
UPMC also manages a health insurance division that serves 3.8 million members alongside a range of commercial and international ventures.
By Chris Mahandara
