The Public Service Commission (PSC) has approved a new human resource establishment for Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH), clearing the way for a major expansion of its workforce as the facility transitions from a county hospital to a Level Six national referral hospital.
Under the approved structure, JOOTRH will have a total of 1,805 staff, up from the current workforce of about 1,200.
Of these 1545 positions, equivalent to 86 percent, will be in technical services, while 260 positions, or 14 percent, will be in administrative and shared services.
The approval was formalized on Tuesday when the Kisumu County Public Service Board presented the PSC-endorsed human resource instruments to the hospital’s leadership.
JOOTRH Non-Executive Board Chairman, Dr. Olang’o Onudi, received the documents and handed them over to the Acting Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Joshua Clinton Okise.
The instruments include an approved organisational structure and staff establishment, career guidelines, and a human resource policies and procedures manual tailored specifically for the hospital.
They also provide for a 14-tier grading structure to guide staff progression.
Speaking during the handing over meeting at the facility in Kisumu, Acting CEO Dr. Joshua Okise said the approval marked a major milestone in the hospital’s transition to national status, noting that the hospital previously operated without a dedicated human resource policy framework.
“These are documents we have worked on for close to four months, and their approval means we now have clear policies, a manual and a structure to guide employment and management of staff. This is a huge step forward for the institution,” he said.
The new organisational structure, he said, has been anchored on five directorates—Clinical Services, Integrated Health Services, Nursing Services, Training and Research, and Corporate Services.
He added that the CEO’s office will directly oversee Corporate Communications, Supply Chain Management and Legal Services with the hospital set to operate through 25 divisions.
Board Chairman Dr. Olang’o Onudi praised the technical teams involved in developing the instruments, saying JOOTRH was the only institution among several applicants whose submissions were fully approved by the PSC.
“As a specialised national referral facility, JOOTRH required its own frameworks rather than relying on general national government policies,” he said.
The handover ceremony was attended by officials from the Kisumu County Public Service Board, including its chairperson Dr. James Obondi, board member Ruth Koga and Chief Executive Bill Omondi.
With the PSC approval secured, the hospital will now engage the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) to finalize salary structures for staff, a key remaining step within the six-month transition window.
Once implemented, the expanded workforce is expected to strengthen service delivery and support JOOTRH’s mandate as a centre of excellence in specialized healthcare under the Ministry of Health.
By Chris Mahandara
