The Ministry of Health has embarked on the process of taking over the historic Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital in Kisumu.
This follows calls by the County leadership to have the facility popularly known as Russia Hospital upgraded to level six to complete the referral system in the devolved unit.
Health Cabinet Secretary (CS) Susan Nakhumicha said a technical team from the Ministry was in Kisumu to carry out an inspection to establish whether the facility fits the bill ahead of its takeover by the national government.
The team, she said, shall be accompanied by representatives from the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC) to prepare a comprehensive report on the status of the facility.
According to the County government, the facility, which is currently level 5, acts as a regional referral hospital servicing over ten Counties in the lake region.
This has strained resources allocated to the County government of Kisumu to run health services since the other Counties that benefit from the facility do not in any way bear the burden of its operational costs.
Nakhumicha who toured the facility said the takeover shall be fast-tracked to put the hospital on the same level as Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH), and Kenyatta University Teaching and Referral Hospital (KUTRH) which are run by the Ministry.
This, she said, was set to unlock funding for the facility which opened its doors in 1969, and enhance the quality of services offered.
The CS lauded the County Government of Kisumu for being bold on the struggles of running the facility and for agreeing to hand it back to the national government.
Some County governments with similar big health facilities, she added, were suffering in silence while holding on to them under the guise of generating on-source revenue.
“This is not good thinking because it has an effect on service delivery. Our people need quality health services close to them and we must have a discussion on how to run these facilities and even the sharing of revenue,” she said.
Kisumu Deputy Governor Dr. Mathew Owili said the takeover was long overdue, lauding the CS for taking up the matter.
The hospital, he added, has what it takes to be elevated to level six given the number of people it serves and the services being offered.
Currently, he said the facility was a training ground for medical students from Maseno University and Uzima University urging the ministry to fast-track the process for the benefit of the institutions and members of the public who seek services at the hospital.
His sentiments were echoed by Seme Member of Parliament Dr. James Nyikal who said the elevation of the facility will not only enhance the quality of services but complete the referral system in the Nyanza region.
Efforts to better health care in the area, he added, were noticeable but the lack of a level six facility was a big challenge.
By Chris Mahandara
