Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) is facing public criticism following complaints by mother who has accused the facility of delays in discharging patients, mistreatment of families and poor handling of critically ill patients.
In posts shared to this writer, Grace describes what she says are distressing experiences for families seeking care at the Kisumu based JOOTRH referral hospital, raising questions about how patients are handled when families need urgent assistance and how the institution responds to complaints about its services.
In one post, Grace says that discharging a patient can take an entire day and sometimes stretch into two days. She further states that families who consider transferring patients to another facility risk facing additional difficulties during the discharge process, even when they are dissatisfied with the care being provided. Her exact words were:
Discharging a patient at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Referral Hospital takes a whole day on the days that they're very competent and two days when they're operating on a normal scale.You might want to transfer your patient to another hospital because of cruelty, arrogance and incompetence, but gambling is even riskier at that point.Because immediately you call for discharge, they will close the patient's file and then drag the discharge for a whole day. If your patient is already critical, they won't survive.A den of death....!
In another post, Grace says that families with critically ill patients may be left helpless and that some nurses respond confrontationally when relatives contact doctors they know to seek assistance. She says such families are warned that staff may abandon their patients, describing a situation in which people already under pressure are forced to plead for help. Her second complaint reads:
Even if you get abandoned with your critically ill patient at Jaramogi Oginga hospital for a day, never do the mistake of calling a doctor in case you know any.... Once the cruel nurses gets a glitch that you've called a doctor, they will profile your patient, they will come to you, quarrel you in front of your patient, and give you a stern warning on how they will leave you with your patient to attend to them. They will tell you, " unajifanya mjuaaji sindio. Tutaona." And then they will walk away scrolling tiktok and leave you with your dying patient. And because you're too desperate and helpless, you will kneel on the floor and put your head down, worshipping them and asking them to have mercy on you! At that point in time, your patient will start giving up slowly by slowly.... despair has entered the game.... death has started knocking!This hospital here is a CRIME SCENE!
The public attention has also extended to how JOOTRH handles criticism. In a private message shared, Lorraine Opondo, who identifies herself as the hospital’s Director of Corporate Communications, reaches out to ask about her experience and proposes a conversation. The message reads
Hi Grace . I trust you are well. My name is lorraine Opondo Director corporate communications at JOOTRH . I have read your post on JOOTRH . It seems you are very bitter with this institution. Please i'm reaching out to find out exactly how did this institution wrong you ? Lets have a conversation solve this, believe me alot of us really need thsi institution, we do , , many have found help . Please lets have a conversation and see how we can be of help to you and remedy the situation . We need this institution, imagine of we didn't have Russia , imagine, paint a picture for how would it be for many of us . If This hospital was not there . I'm hoping we can have a conversation and chart a way forward that is good for all of us .
Opondo’s message shows an attempt to engage the complainant, but it also raises questions about how a public institution communicates with someone reporting a troubling experience. The hospital’s own description of its communications department says it is responsible for public engagement, patient engagement and promoting public trust. The challenge for JOOTRH is to ensure that outreach to complainants leads to a clear examination of the issues they raise, rather than leaving the public with unanswered questions.
Questions have also been raised about the hospital’s leadership, including the complaint’s concern over political connections to the Kisumu County Governor and whether appointments have been based on merit and professional qualifications.
The hospital’s published leadership page currently lists Dr Joshua Okise as Chief Executive Officer, alongside directors responsible for clinical services, nursing services, research and training, and corporate services.
For a referral hospital serving patients from across Western Kenya and beyond, public confidence depends not only on medical facilities and specialist services, but also on how patients and their families are treated when they seek help.