26 | County StateofHealth

DAILY NATION
Thursday July 23, 2015

KISUMU >> Health institution has seen better organisation and transformation from what it was years back

New heights with no nonsense hospital boss

Superintendent has seen facility built to her childhood.
children’s clinic, maternity and neonatal Born to a humble family in
the sugar cane plantations of
unit as well as 48-bed capacity wards Muhoroni, Dr Otieno relied
on donations from the com-
munity for her education.
BY VERAH OKEYO change. She joined the Univer-
@VerahOkeyo “I do not gamble with sity of Nairobi in 1979 for her
vokeyo@ke.nationmedia.com health, when you are given a bachelor’s degree in medi-
job to do I expect results, not cine and later her masters in
excuses,” she said. paediatrics in the 1980s.

T
he relationship be-
tween the healthcare
workers at Jaramogi
Oginga Odinga Teaching
and Referral Hospital— also
called “Russia” — and their
medical superintendent is
baffling: none of them con-
siders her a buddy but they
would not like to have her
replaced.
“She is a bully,” said a
nurse “but she gets things
done.”
For most of her medical
career in public service, Dr
Juliana Otieno, a paediatri-
cian, has worked in the very
hospital whose administra-
tion she sets at the pinnacle.
The 501-bed facility with
more than 150 per cent
capacity now has a well-
equipped intensive care unit,
a renal centre, a facility for
newborns and an autono-
mous children’s clinic that
was named Obama.
Indeed the expansive hos-
pital revealed a cleaner, more
organised health institution
that it was seven years ago.
When Dr Otieno agreed to
an interview, she announced
as a matter of fact that she
had less than half an hour
to spare and that should
anyone call her to attend to
medical issues, she wouldn’t
think twice about leaving the
Interestingly, she interned
at the same hospital.
Her travels to various coun-
tries for research opened her
eyes to a different world of
health care which she desired
to replicate back in Kenya.
Money being her greatest
impediment, Dr Otieno saw
the opportunity when the
Walter Reed Army Institute
of Research, America’s larg-
FILE | NATION est biomedical research facil-
Dr Juliana Otieno, the medical superintendent of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hos- ity administered by the US
pital in Kisumu County, during an interview in her office in May 2015. Dr Otieno has spearheaded the Department of Defence, com-
transformation and growth of the hospital. pleted their malaria research
based at the hospital.
were staying under poor con- I can and I would only block was fired, she asked whether She asked the researchers
ditions, she calmly replied: “I people from walking around in noticing the horrendous to help the hospital construct
give my job my all, do what here to protect my patients state of the surgical and a children’s clinic which was

Throughout the Nation’s
covert three-day visit to the
hospital, many terms such
as dictatorial, aggressive
and harsh were used to de-
scribe her, but it is under her
strict watch that the hospital
has undergone tremendous
interview.
“The person who is not
dying is not important”, she
said as she sat down.
When told that the Nation
had been checking the hos-
pital and found that some
patients with severe burns
Sh75m
Aid from the Norwegian queen
Dr Otieno used for construction
of a maternity and newborn unit.
and workers, there is nothing
that I am going to hide from
the public…if there is any-
thing that is not in order, it
is either in the process of be-
ing solved or matters are just
completely out of my hand.”
Before another question
casualty wards, Nation had
taken time to see the newly
constructed wards built us-
ing Sh16 million from hos-
pital collections. The wards
will host about 48 patients.
The hospital’s boss strong
character can be traced back
later named Obama.
Her talks with the Norwe-
gian queen also earned her
Sh75 million to build the
maternity and newborn unit
which received equipment
from General Electric (an
American electronics firm.)

P.O. BOX 162-10100

NYERI
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)
PRODUCTION OF AFRICA STATUS REPORT FOR DISASTER RISK REDUCTION 2015

Background COUNTY ASSEMBLY OF NYERI

UNISDR, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, was established in 1999 to facilitate the OFFICE OF THE CLERK
implementation of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction mandated “to serve as the focal
point in the United Nations system for the coordination of disaster reduction and to ensure synergies
among the disaster reduction activities of the United Nations system and regional organizations and
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION FORUMS ON THE NYERI COUNTY
activities in socioeconomic and humanitarian fields” (UN General Assembly Resolution 56/195). ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT FUND BILL, 2015
At the regional level, UNISDR coordinates the development of the Africa Status Report (ASR) that Pursuant to Article 10(2),Article 196(1),Article 232(1) (f) of the Constitution of Kenya and Section 87 of the
assesses the progress in implementation of the HFA as well as the Africa Regional Strategy1. Through County Governments Act, 2012, the County Assembly of Trade, Cooperative Development and Marketing
consolidation and analysis of information on member state progress in DRR implementation, insight Committee now invites the Members of the public, private sector organizations, interested parties and
is gained on disaster trends, frequency and socio-economic impacts. The report provides a clear view all stakeholders to submit any representations that they may have on the Nyeri County Enterprise
of what is working and what is not when activities are reported against the five HFA priorities.
Development Fund Bill, 2015. The representations may be made orally or by written memorandum in the
Objective following manner:-
A Consultancy Firm is to design and develop the completion of the Africa Status Report on Disaster
Risk Reduction 2015. 1. Written memorandum may be forwarded to
The Clerk, County Assembly of Nyeri P. O. Box 162-10100 Nyeri, hand delivered to the Office
Application process of the Clerk, County Assembly Building Ruring’u Nyeri, or emailed to ccnyeri@yahoo.com to be
For the full Terms of Reference (TOR), please visit UNDP Kenya’s websites;
received on or before 7th August, 2015.
http://www.ke.undp.org/content/kenya/en/home/operations/procurement; the UN Global
Market place: www.ungm.org/Notices/Notices.aspx and the UNDP HQ Website:
http://procurement-notices.undp.org 2. Public participation forums shall be held between 31st July, 2015 to 7th August, 2015 as follows:-
DAY DATE TIME VENUE
Sealed proposal documents comprising the technical proposal and the financial proposal in FRIDAY 31st July, 2015 9:00 A.M – 12:00 NOON NYERI TOWN – Y.M.C.A HALL
separate sealed envelopes clearly marked “RFP/UNISDR/ 001/2015 - PRODUCTION OF AFRICA
FRIDAY 31st July,2015 1:00 P.M – 4:00 P.M TETU – TEACHERS HALL
STATUS REPORT FOR DISASTER RISK REDUCTION 2015” should be dropped at the UNDP TENDER
MONDAY 3rd August,2015 9:00 A.M – 12:00 NOON MUKURWE-INI – MUHITO PCEA CHURCH
BOX placed at the main entrance reception of UN Complex in Gigiri or delivered by hand or courier
MONDAY 3rd August ,2015 1:00 P.M – 4:00 P.M OTHAYA – C.D.F HALL
and addressed to:
TUESDAY 4th August,2015 9:00 A.M – 12:00 NOON MATHIRA - KARATINA TOWN HALL
United Nations Development Programme THURSDAY 6th August, 2015 9:00 A.M – 12:00 NOON KIENI WEST – MWEIGA CDF HALL
Attn.: The Deputy Country Director (Operations) FRIDAY 7th August , 2015 9:00 A.M – 12:00 NOON KIENI EAST –INFORMATION HALL
The United Nations Development Programme – Kenya Office
UN Complex Gigiri, PO Box 30218, 00100 The proposed bill can be obtained from the
Nairobi, Kenya County Assembly of Nyeri website http://www.nyeriassembly.go.ke/

THE CLOSING DATE FOR SUBMISSIONS IS WEDNESDAY, 12 AUGUST 2015 BY 15.00 HRS (3.00
P.M. KENYA TIME) CLERK
COUNTY ASSEMBLY OF NYERI
UNDP Kenya reserves the right to accept or reject any submissions.