Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) has announced that students enrolled at its training school will be given first priority for employment.
The development comes as the referral facility moves to strengthen Kenya’s frontline healthcare workforce through hands-on, hospital-based training.
The assurance was given by the Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Joshua Okise, during the admission of 25 students into the Healthcare Assistant course for the January intake, marking the fourth cohort since the programme was launched.
Dr. Okise said training healthcare workers within a referral hospital setting offers a practical advantage that many institutions lack, allowing students to acquire real-world clinical experience alongside classroom instruction.
“Healthcare delivery is not just about technical skills. It is about professionalism, empathy, and respect for patient dignity,” Dr. Okise told the new students, noting that supervised exposure to real patients and specialist-led teams builds confidence and competence early in training.
The six-month Healthcare Assistant programme is designed to respond to growing demand for mid-level health workers, particularly as public hospitals grapple with staff shortages and rising patient numbers.
As part of curriculum reforms, JOOTRH, he said, plans to integrate information technology training, aligning students with the hospital’s digital systems, including its Hospital Management Information System (HMIS).
He added that the training school will also expand its physical infrastructure to accommodate increasing enrollment as demand for healthcare training rises.
Beyond healthcare assistants, the JOOTRH Training School, he said, offers higher diploma programs in nephrology nursing and critical care nursing, as well as certificate courses in perioperative theatre technology, emergency medical technology, and healthcare assistance.
The initiative, he said, positions the Kisumu-based national referral hospital not only as a treatment hub for western Kenya but also as a growing pipeline for skilled healthcare workers tailored to the needs of the public health system.
By Chris Mahandara
