Kisumu Central MP Dr Joshua Oron has called for increased government funding to complete and equip the cancer centre at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH).
Dr Oron, a member of the National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Health, said the facility would ease pressure on cancer treatment services at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret and improve access to care across the Lake Region.
He said patients from Kisumu, Migori, Homa Bay, Kericho and other counties were travelling to Eldoret for treatment, putting further pressure on the facility.
“We must have a new cancer centre at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga as soon as possible,” Oron said after the committee inspected the hospital.
He said the committee had found patients crowded in the hospital’s existing oncology unit, highlighting the urgent need for a dedicated facility.
Once completed and fully equipped, the cancer centre is expected to serve patients from about 15 counties in the Lake Region Economic Bloc.
Oron, the Kisumu Governor aspirant, said the hospital had not received sufficient funds to complete the building and equip it to provide the required services.
He said the committee would seek additional funding through the supplementary budget to accelerate the project.
“We are hoping that we will be able to add them a little more to finish the building and equip it so that by January or February people don’t have to travel to Eldoret to access cancer treatment,” he said.
The MP also raised concerns about staffing shortages at the hospital, which was elevated to Level Six status about a year ago.
He said the national government had yet to provide the facility with the required number of health workers to support its expanded role.
The committee also reviewed the quality of care, infrastructure and equipment, with Oron saying hospital management was addressing concerns raised during the meeting.
He said the committee would continue to push for adequate resources to ensure the hospital provides specialised services to patients from the region and beyond.
Oron said the inspection sought to establish whether public resources were being used prudently and whether the hospital had the capacity to meet the demands of its Level Six status.
He said the hospital was yet to recruit the required number of staff despite its expanded responsibilities, and continued to rely on personnel seconded from the Kisumu County Government.
“The hospital is growing since its elevation, but it has not gotten the required number of staff,” Oron said.
The meeting also examined the nurse-to-patient ratio. JOOTRH has 377 nurses and another 67 on a locum basis, yet only three nurses often attend to about 26 patients, against the recommended six.
Members further sought details of claims submitted to the Social Health Authority (SHA) since the start of the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF).
They requested the amounts approved, rejected, and outstanding, the average turnaround times, and the impact of delayed or rejected claims on cash flow and procurement.
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