Build campuses near hospitals for quality teaching, KMTC board told

Medical training colleges should be built next to hospitals to provide hands-on learning experience and improve healthcare, the medical board has been told.

Siaya Governor Cornel Rasanga yesterday urged the Kenya Medical Training Colleges Board should review expansion plans and prioritise quality teaching.

Rasanga said most campuses are being put up in remote areas where there are no hospitals. He cited the Rarieda campus to be built at Masala instead of Madiany which has the subcounty hospital.

“It’s unfortunate that students are not able to gain from practical experience due to the interior location of the campuses,” Rasanga said.

He spoke during a meeting with the KMTC board in Siaya. The board delegation was led by chairman Philip Kaloki.

Rasanga said MPs were misguiding the board on the location of campuses for selfish interests. The board plans to build campuses in every constituency. “That strategy must be reexamined. We must focus on quality training,” Rasanga said.

The governor said there was no need to build new campuses with fewer students. He said the move has not attracted the desired number of students to end shortage of nurses in hospitals.

He asked the board to instead focus on quality. “I don’t support students getting enrolled in campuses lacking all 18 key courses,” Rasanaga said. He said there were fewer students in Rera and Urenga campuses in gem and Ugenya, respectively.

Kaloki said the board acts on the requests made by MPs, often through letters. “The concerns of the governor are genuine but the campuses must start with a few courses as they grow,” Kaloki said. He said only Nairobi campus offers all the 18 courses. The rest are decided by the needs of local communities.

The chairman was accompanied by board CEO Michael Kiptoo, vice-chair David Muthoga and secretary Miriam Muthoka.