Story by Dennise Akinyi and photos by Ondari Ogega
In continued pursuit of excellent clinical outcomes, consultants at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) held a retreat, a moment for reflection, stocktaking of the past year’s successes and challenges, and exploring ways to further improve clinical services.
Under the theme “Strengthening Strategic Synergy for Enhanced Service Delivery,” the discussions focused on aligning with the hospital’s mission to deliver specialized, accessible, responsive, and high-quality medical services through research, innovation, and the core values of care.
Senior Director of Clinical Services, Dr. Dedan Ongong’a, who chaired the meeting, emphasized the need to strive for excellence in clinical outcomes, with key performance indicators including patient satisfaction, clinical results, and service delivery times. Delivering remarks on behalf of CEO Dr. Richard Lesiyampe, Dr. Ong’ong’a urged clinical teams to uphold the pillars of the 2024–2029 Strategy: leadership and governance, operational excellence, financial sustainability, and community engagement.
Plans are underway to grant departments greater autonomy in decision-making and streamline workflows by establishing specialty blocks in surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, and pediatrics. Upcoming projects include the reproductive health complex, internal medicine block, and imaging block — all aimed at reducing delays and boosting efficiency.
The hospital also plans to expand infrastructure with Renal Replacement Therapy (RRT) units, new wards, and upgraded medical facilities, alongside acquiring advanced diagnostic equipment such as a new MRI, CT scan, and laboratory machines for immunochemistry.
Collaboration and targeted training were highlighted as essential for optimal resource utilization. Reports from the clinical, nursing, development, and financial directorates were presented, with the retreat ultimately serving as a platform to define actionable steps toward positioning JOOTRH as a world-class healthcare institution.