Medical Services Principal Secretary Dr Ouma Oluga addressing the media in Kisumu at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital. Faith Matete Medical Services Principal Secretary Dr Ouma Oluga has urged Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) to improve patient experiences and address public complaints as the government seeks to strengthen healthcare services in the region.
Oluga said healthcare delivery must go beyond providing correct medical treatment to ensuring patients and their families are treated with dignity throughout their hospital visits.
Speaking during a visit to the facility, the PS acknowledged concerns raised by members of the public, including complaints circulating on social media, and called on hospital staff to reflect on their conduct and improve service delivery.
He said the government was monitoring both the hospital’s performance and the concerns raised by the community, adding that the institution could not afford to dismiss complaints even where some allegations might be inaccurate.
“As a professional institution, we cannot afford to bury our heads in the sand. We have to look deeply and reflect on ourselves to assess our actions and the experiences those actions produce for the people and families around here,” he said.
Oluga assured residents that the government was committed to ensuring the hospital remained focused on providing quality healthcare without compromising patients’ interests.
He called for closer collaboration between healthcare workers, support staff and other institutions operating within the hospital to improve the overall patient experience.
He said patients could receive appropriate medical treatment but still leave dissatisfied because of how they were treated by other workers, including security personnel and cleaners.
“The cycle of care starts at the beginning. Sometimes the doctor treats you very well, but the watchman did not talk to you well. Sometimes the person cleaning your bed did not treat you well, even though you received the correct care,” he said.
Oluga said the government would pursue transformative training for hospital staff to strengthen teamwork and promote a patient-centred approach to healthcare.
He added that all personnel should understand that their shared responsibility was to safeguard patients’ health and ensure they received the best possible care.
The PS also highlighted the hospital’s strategic importance to the Lake Region, noting that it serves patients drawn from more than 14 counties.
He said the facility’s elevation to a higher level of specialised healthcare was part of the government’s efforts to expand access to essential services and reduce the burden on patients forced to seek treatment far from home.
Oluga singled out cancer care as one of the major challenges facing the region, citing an estimated 7,000 cervical cancer patients, about 4,000 of them in the region.
He said the burden was worsened by delays in accessing specialised treatment, forcing some patients from counties such as Siaya and Migori to travel long distances and wait for weeks or months before receiving care.
Such delays, he said, could worsen patients’ conditions and increase the risk of complications and deaths.
The government, he added, was investing in JOOTRH to expand its capacity to handle complex medical conditions, including cancer and neurological disorders affecting children.
He cited conditions associated with malaria as among the health challenges requiring stronger diagnostic and treatment capacity, particularly where children develop complications affecting their neurological health.
Oluga said the hospital had demonstrated its ability to respond to major incidents and had made significant progress, but stressed that its expanded role must translate into tangible improvements in patient outcomes.
He urged the community to continue raising concerns while encouraging constructive engagement that would help the institution improve its services.
The PS also participated in a tree-planting exercise during which more than 10,000 trees were planted, linking the activity to broader environmental conservation efforts.
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