Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) has secured regional accreditation to train specialist orthopaedic surgeons, a move expected to strengthen access to advanced surgical care across Western Kenya.
The College of Surgeons of East, Central and Southern Africa (COSECSA), which is the regional body responsible for postgraduate surgical training and professional standards across several African countries, formally approved the Kisumu-based hospital as an orthopaedic surgery training centre, with the accreditation set to take effect in January 2026.
In a notification to the hospital, COSECSA Chief Executive Officer Stella Itungu confirmed that JOOTRH had satisfied all the requirements necessary to host the specialist programme.
The approval clears the way for the hospital to begin training doctors in the management of complex bone and joint conditions.
Under the programme, trainees will undergo structured instruction in key areas including trauma and emergency orthopaedics, joint replacement procedures, sports-related injuries and paediatric orthopaedics.
The training is expected to expand the service capacity of JOOTRH while improving the quality of care offered to patients with musculoskeletal conditions.
It is also expected to ease pressure on patients who currently travel long distances to access specialised orthopaedic services, while also creating new opportunities for doctors in the region to pursue advanced surgical training locally.
The accreditation, which will run for five years, will be subject to regular assessments by COSECSA to ensure the hospital maintains required standards in training, infrastructure and service delivery.
This comes after JOOTRH was elevated to a National Referral Hospital under the Ministry of Health, prompting the need to close gaps in specialist healthcare in the Lake Region.
Established in 1999, COSECSA has trained and certified hundreds of surgeons, many of whom continue to practise in their home countries.
Commenting on the milestone, Dr. Ceaser Bitta, a general surgeon at Maseno University, said the approval reflects JOOTRH’s growing role as a centre of excellence in clinical care, training and research.
He noted that by training orthopaedic surgeons locally, the hospital aims to reduce the burden of musculoskeletal disease, improve access to specialised treatment and enhance patient outcomes across Western Kenya.
By Chris Mahandara
