Garissa hospital eyes level 6 status to expand healthcare

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Garissa County Teaching and Referral Hospital is positioning itself for a major transformation into a level 6 regional referral facility.

The move is expected to strengthen access to specialised healthcare across Northern Kenya.

Hospital chief executive officer Mahat Salah said the elevation would be timely as the country approaches the conclusion of Vision 2030. He said the facility is already undertaking reforms in human resources, infrastructure, revenue mobilisation, digitalisation, specialised treatment, diagnostics and patient care.

Salah said the planned transformation would enable the hospital to become a major regional healthcare hub, reducing the need for patients from Northern Kenya to travel to Nairobi and other parts of the country for specialised treatment.

“As Vision 2030 approaches its conclusion, the planned transformation of Garissa County Level 5 Teaching and Referral Hospital into a level 6 facility is particularly timely,” he said during an interview at his office.

“The expectation is that the upgraded facility will provide comprehensive, high-quality healthcare services, including critical care, emergency services, secondary and tertiary care.”

The hospital’s ambition under the next national development framework is to become a fully fledged level 6 regional referral facility capable of handling increasingly complex healthcare needs.

Formerly known as a Provincial General Hospital, Garissa County Teaching and Referral Hospital was among eight provincial hospitals established to provide higher-level medical services to large populations.

It has historically served as a major referral centre for Northern Kenya and continues to receive patients from Garissa, Wajir, Mandera, Isiolo, Tana River, Lamu and parts of Marsabit, among other areas.

With a catchment population approaching two million people, the facility is a key pillar of healthcare delivery in a region where long distances, limited specialised services and high poverty levels have traditionally made access to advanced treatment difficult.

One of the most significant changes at the hospital has been the expansion of its workforce.

Salah said the facility previously had only about five specialists, compared with about 54 specialists currently working in different medical fields.

The number of nurses has also increased from fewer than 100 to about 300, substantially improving the hospital’s capacity to provide specialised and round-the-clock services.

“These improvements have significantly enhanced our capacity to provide quality healthcare services to the people of Northern Kenya,” Salah said.

The hospital has 366 beds and recorded about 90 per cent bed occupancy as of June 2026, reflecting the heavy demand for its services.

Revenue mobilisation and financial accountability have also been strengthened.

Management introduced tighter verification of NHIF- and SHA-stamped services and claims, closer supervision of revenue-generating departments, departmental billing tools and daily reconciliation for institutional and memorandum-of-understanding clients.

The measures were aimed at improving billing completeness and reducing under-billing, selective billing, unclaimed services and revenue leakage.

Cash collections subsequently rose from about Sh67.75 million in the 2023-24 financial year to Sh127.64 million in 2025-26.

SHA revenue also increased from Sh172.37 million in 2024-25 to Sh315.41 million in 2025-26.

Since the inception of SHA, the hospital has processed claims worth more than Sh515.18 million, with about Sh349.34 million reported as having been paid.

“We have strengthened our systems to ensure services provided are properly captured, billed and accounted for,” Salah said.

The hospital has also embraced digitalisation, with financial services already automated and other departments progressively being integrated into the digital system.

Salah said automation had improved efficiency, accountability and service delivery, particularly in clinical areas, while further investments would focus on patient flow, records management, billing and accountability.

Infrastructure development has equally been central to the transformation.

The hospital is implementing the second phase of its modernisation programme, including the construction of an ultra-modern five-storey mother and child facility with a capacity of 400 beds.

Salah said the project would strengthen maternal and child healthcare services in Northern Kenya.

“The mother and child facility will greatly strengthen maternal and child healthcare services in Northern Kenya. It is an investment in the future of mothers and children across this region,” he said.

The hospital has also developed a private wing, modern maternity facilities, a modern surgical ward and an inpatient pharmacy.

Salah said the hospital was ready to build on the gains made under Vision 2030 as the country develops its next long-term development framework.

“As we approach the end of Vision 2030, there is a need to take stock of what has been achieved in the health sector, identify the gaps that remain and determine how those gaps can be addressed under the next development framework,” he said.

“We are ready to contribute to that process by building on the gains made in healthcare and ensuring the challenges that remain are addressed,” he concluded.