Specialised, referral and teaching healthcare for Vihiga County and beyond.
Vihiga Teaching and Referral Hospital (VTRH) is a Level 5 government teaching and referral facility located in Vihiga County, along the Kisumu–Kakamega road at Mbale, opposite the County Headquarters. It first opened its doors to the public in 2001 under the Ministry of Health as Vihiga District Hospital, serving the population of the former Vihiga District. It was later renamed after health services were devolved to county governments in Kenya, and is among the referral hospitals previously owned by the Ministry of Medical Services. The hospital has a 164-bed capacity (108% bed occupancy) across its wards: general male and female, maternity, paediatric, amenity and ICU. The maternity section has 47 beds and 10 incubators. VTRH acts as the county referral hospital for three sub-county hospitals and as an intermediary to national and teaching referral hospitals, and serves as the county centre for specialised healthcare. It trains healthcare personnel — nurses, medical, pharmacy and laboratory interns, nutritionists and health records officers — implements health policy at facility level, maintains quality standards and provides technical support to sub-county hospitals and health centres. Its catchment population extends beyond Vihiga County (662,596 people) to neighbouring Kisumu, Kakamega, Siaya and Nandi counties. The hospital has about 450 technical and non-technical staff, including medical consultants, doctors, clinical officers and nurses, and runs training and research in collaboration with reputable institutions.
To provide specialized, integrated, client-centred health services through training, research and collaboration to improve quality of lives.
A model health institution dedicated to evidence-based patient care, training and research.
A quick look at the organization in numbers.