Community Health Services

At Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH), Community Health Services (CHS) are essential in bridging the gap between our hospital and the communities we serve. We ensure that healthcare extends beyond our walls, reaching individuals in their homes, villages, schools and workplaces, especially in rural and low-income areas.

Our primary goal is to prevent diseases, promote health, provide early treatment, and improve overall well-being through grassroots health strategies.

Outreach and Community Programs

JOOTRH regularly organizes outreach activities where dedicated teams of doctors, nurses and public health officers visit communities, offering medical check-ups, immunization and family planning services, screening for common conditions like HIV, TB, diabetes, hypertension and various cancers, as well as deworming and Vitamin A supplementation. In October, JOOTRH successfully organized a Cataract Program offering free eye check-ups and targeting 600 cataract surgeries within a week.

Community Health Volunteers

Our Community Health Volunteers (CHVs) are trained local residents who visit households to provide basic health education, identify and report sick individuals, and encourage clinic attendance, especially for pregnant mothers and their children. CHVs also monitor and support patients with chronic illnesses like HIV/AIDS.

Maternal and Child Health

JOOTRH prioritizes safe motherhood and child survival through postnatal follow-up visits, encouraging skilled delivery at the hospital, promoting exclusive breastfeeding, and organizing community immunization days.

Health Education and Disease Surveillance

The CHS team conducts community education sessions in schools, churches, chief's barazas and market places covering hygiene, nutrition, substance abuse prevention, mental health awareness and adolescent sexual and reproductive health. We also run a comprehensive School Health Program and play a critical role in tracking and responding to disease outbreaks such as measles, malaria, cholera and TB.