Kisumu: Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) is on the verge of rolling out a new salary structure for its staff following its elevation to a national referral facility. The facility’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dr. Joshua Okise, announced that the transition process is 95 percent complete and includes the development of comprehensive human resource instruments that did not previously exist under county administration.
According to Kenya News Agency, Dr. Okise stated that the hospital has developed career guidelines, a human resource policy manual, staff establishment frameworks, and conducted job description analysis for all cadres. The next step involves carrying out job evaluations, after which the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) will provide a salary advice structure to guide the placement of employees onto a parastatal payroll.
A human resource advisory committee, guided by the Public Service Commission (PSC), is overseeing the conversion of staff from the county’s 17-tier grading system to a 14-tier structure aligned with national government standards. Dr. Okise expressed optimism that the salary structure could be finalized within a week, allowing staff to start benefiting from the new arrangements.
The hospital was gazetted as a national teaching and referral facility last year, effectively transferring its management from Kisumu County Government to the national government. During the signing of a Recognition Agreement with the Kenya Union of Clinical Officers at the facility, Dr. Okise highlighted that since its elevation, the hospital has expanded specialized services and embarked on recruiting additional specialists.
He mentioned that the facility has hired two neurosurgeons, increased the number of orthopedic surgeons from one to four, and recently engaged a critical care clinical officer for the Accident and Emergency unit. Recruitment of urologists and ENT surgeons is ongoing, with recent achievements such as a complex facial reconstruction surgery showcasing the hospital’s growing capacity.
The recognition agreement grants the union legal standing to negotiate on behalf of clinical officers as the institution completes its transition from county control to a national referral facility. KUCO Chairperson, Peterson Wachira, emphasized the agreement’s significance in ensuring clinical officers’ welfare remains central to the hospital’s growth.
“This is more than a formality. It gives us legal standing to engage management on staff welfare, collective bargaining, and service delivery. When staff welfare is prioritized, patients receive better care. It is a foundation for continuous dialogue that will benefit both workers and Kenyans, now that this facility serves not just Kisumu but the entire country, and even attracts patients from across East Africa,” Wachira stated.
General Secretary, George Gibore, noted that the agreement comes at a time when Kenya’s health sector is undergoing reforms that risk leaving referral hospitals under-resourced. He urged the government to focus on human resource investment alongside infrastructure expansion.
“We cannot have state-of-the-art theatres without staff to run them. Referral facilities must not be starved in the name of primary healthcare reforms,” said Gibore. He highlighted that facilities are operating with only a fraction of the required clinical officers, citing JOOTRH as an example where one critical care officer manages an entire unit, rendering the service unsustainable if the officer is unavailable.
Gibore advocated for health worker salaries to be treated as an investment, allowing counties and referral hospitals to employ enough professionals to meet demand. “We must invest properly and employ healthcare workers. It is they who deliver the services and determine outcomes for patients. The wage bill cannot continue to limit hiring. If we fail to support staff, we fail patients,” he added.
The signing of the recognition agreement marks a significant step as the hospital seeks to consolidate its new status as a national referral center serving western Kenya and parts of the East African region. Management and union leaders are optimistic that structured dialogue will stabilize labor relations during the transition.
