Community Health Services
At Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH), Community Health Services (CHS) are essential in bridging the gap between our hospital and the communities we serve. We ensure that healthcare extends beyond our walls, reaching individuals in their homes, villages, schools, and workplaces, especially in rural and low-income areas.
Our primary goal is to prevent diseases, promote health, provide early treatment, and improve overall well-being through grassroots health strategies.
Outreach and Community Programs
JOOTRH regularly organizes outreach activities where our dedicated teams of doctors, nurses, and public health officers visit communities. These vital services offer:
Medical check-ups
Immunization and family planning services
Screening for common conditions like HIV, TB, diabetes, hypertension, and various cancers
Deworming and Vitamin A supplementation
These outreach services are particularly crucial for populations with limited access to transport or financial resources. For example, in October, JOOTRH successfully organized a Cataract Program, offering free eye check-ups and targeting 600 cataract surgeries within a week.
Our Community Health Volunteers (CHVs) are trained local residents who play a pivotal role. They visit households to provide basic health education, identify and report sick individuals, and encourage clinic attendance, especially for pregnant mothers and their children. CHVs also monitor and support patients with chronic illnesses like HIV/AIDS. JOOTRH supports our CHVs through training, supervision, and non-financial incentives like kits, t-shirts, and food packages to keep them motivated.
Maternal and Child Health
JOOTRH prioritizes safe motherhood and child survival through focused initiatives:
Postnatal follow-up visits
Encouraging skilled delivery at the hospital
Promoting exclusive breastfeeding
Organizing community immunization days
These efforts significantly contribute to reducing maternal and infant mortality, particularly in rural areas.
Health Education and Awareness
The CHS team regularly conducts community education sessions in schools, churches, chief’s barazas, and market places. These sessions cover crucial topics such as:
Proper hygiene and sanitation to prevent diseases like cholera
Healthy eating and nutrition
Substance abuse prevention
Mental health awareness
Sexual and reproductive health for adolescents
We also run a comprehensive School Health Program, where we visit schools to conduct medical screenings, deworm children, and educate them on personal hygiene, puberty, and nutrition.
Chronic Illness Management and Disease Surveillance
For patients with chronic illnesses like HIV/AIDS, cancer, or disabilities, CHS provides essential support through:
Home visitations for counseling and drug adherence monitoring
Symptom monitoring
Nutritional support for undernourished patients
Following up with patients who have defaulted on treatment or clinic appointments
Finally, CHS plays a critical role in helping JOOTRH track and respond to disease outbreaks (e.g., measles, malaria, cholera, TB). We also gather vital community health data, including trends in births and deaths, which is reported to the hospital and the Ministry of Health to guide emergency response and planning.
