Moving around a large hospital can be a challenge for patients who are elderly, living with disabilities, recovering from illness or simply too weak to walk long distances. At the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) in Kisumu, that challenge is now being addressed with electric golf carts.
JOOTRH has launched two electric golf carts to transport patients within the facility, targeting elderly patients, children, persons with disabilities and those who have difficulty walking.
The carts will ferry patients between departments, clinics and other service points, reducing the strain of having to cover long distances on foot. They will also help discharged patients get from the hospital to the main gate, where they can access public transport.
The initiative was flagged off by JOOTRH Board Chair Dr Charles Olango Onudi as the hospital moves to make movement within its expansive facility safer, more convenient and dignified.
The unusual sight of golf carts operating inside a major referral hospital comes as JOOTRH continues to introduce changes aimed at improving patient experience. The Ministry of Health describes JOOTRH as a Level 6 tertiary referral hospital, providing specialised healthcare, medical training and research services.
The hospital has also been undergoing broader modernisation, including a transition to digital patient records and systems designed to reduce unnecessary patient movement between service points.
The new carts now add a more visible form of mobility support , turning vehicles commonly associated with golf courses and leisure into patient transport inside a hospital.
