The Government has put on notice private higher learning institutions in the country offering medical-related courses that are unapproved by the relevant authorities.
Principal Secretary for Public Health and Professional
Standards Mary Muthoni expressed concerns over the proliferation of colleges
offering numerous unregulated courses saying they were not only wasting the
learner's time but they were also swindling them as they end up jobless.
Speaking during the 10th graduation ceremony at Tricent
School of Medical Health Science and Technology in Juja, Muthoni decried that
some owners of private institutions have been offering weird and unheard-of
courses to unsuspecting learners only for them to remain unemployed for life.
“I’m calling upon the owners of private medical colleges and
other institutions offering medical courses to ensure that they deal with all
regulatory bodies before introducing a new course. I have seen some institution
owners offering courses with weird names which makes the students unemployable upon
graduation,” Muthoni said.
During the graduation ceremony, over 400 graduated with
diplomas and certificates in different cadres.
The PS warned that the government will begin conducting
inspections to get rid of all colleges offering invalid programs to protect
Kenyans from being deceived.
She however promised the graduates that the government has created numerous opportunities both locally and internationally to ensure that those who complete school acquire meaningful employment to better their living and impact the society.
“We have over 14,000 health facilities across the country raging from public, private and faith-based institutions where you can all fit. Again there are many countries that are looking for bilateral conversations so that our trained medics can get jobs in those countries,” the PS said.
She said that the new graduates from diverse cadres will be
entering the job market at a critical time when the healthcare landscape in the
country is rapidly evolving with the strengthening of community health systems, the introduction of primary healthcare networks and the ongoing transition of the
Social Health Authority (SHA) which is shaping how healthcare is delivered and
financed.
On his part, the school managing director Denish Oketch said
the institution has embarked on a sponsorship program to facilitate the
education of over 200 learners from poor backgrounds saying that a kitty has
already been set aside to facilitate their learning.
“The number of students who hail from humble backgrounds is
high but we are working round the clock to raise resources that will facilitate
their studies,” Oketch said.
He at the same time revealed that the institution had
partnered with local and international organizations to offer both attachment
and well-paying job opportunities to graduates from the school.
“As an institution, we uphold partnerships and collaborations
with both the Government and private institutions for the sake of providing our
students with linkages for jobs and internship opportunities,” the Director
said.
A section of the graduates led by Sheika Mokaya, a police
officer who is passionate in the medical field said they had been adequately
prepared to handle patients in various hospitals.
“We have gained requisite knowledge and skills that will
give us a competitive edge in the job market. We are appealing to the
government to create more opportunities both locally and globally,” Mokaya
said.
Meanwhile, the PS led a registration drive for SHA at
Gachororo village in Juja where she divulged that the government is working
round the clock to solve the bottlenecks that are facing the new healthcare funding
system.
She also called on all healthcare facilities across the
country to ensure that they subscribe to SHA to enable Kenyans from all corners
of the country to access services efficiently and effectively.
Muthoni also divulged that the State in collaboration with
county governments has engaged all Community Healthy Promoters in the
registration drive in the grassroots to ensure that no one is left out of the system.
