Health CS Susan Nakhumicha has reiterated government's commitment to prioritise investment in medical training.
Speaking on Friday during the groundbreaking ceremony for the Ugenya Level IV Hospital, Nakhumicha said medical training is a critical component towards actualisation of Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
The CS was accompanied by President William Ruto who is in Nyanza on a four-day development tour.
She further appealed to parents in Ugenya constituency to admit their children at a local Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) in East Ugenya location in Siaya County.
Earlier this year, Nakhumicha who is a Pharmacy alumnus from KMTC, commended the institution for its quality training and encouraged students to leverage on the opportunity given to them by medical school to actualise their dreams.
She challenged the Board and Management of KMTC to expand the rollout of the facilities to more campuses to ensure students gain adequate practical experience before handling actual patients in the clinical placement sites.
The CS said once completed, the Ugenya Level 4 Hospital will have a theatre fully equipped to facilitate operations and surgeries.
"Besides having the hospital, we are also having the KMTC where only two courses namely Community Health Assistance and Health Records are offered,” Nakhumicha said.
“If we operationlise the hospital, we can expand the menu by having Nursing and Clinical Medicine so I urge all of you to bring your kids here for enrolment," she added.
Nakhumicha further lauded Siaya Governor James Orengo for working with the national government in a plan aimed at spearheading the implementation of the UHC.
"Community Health Promoters are very delighted looking forward to October 20 as we unveil what is in store for them. Governor Orengo confirmed the CHPs kits arrived and they will be key in advancing healthcare development in the county," the CS said.
President William Ruto flagged off Community Health Promoters kits which will help in the Promotive and Preventive programme that seeks to detect health issues early and manage minor ones at the grassroots level.
The Kenya Kwanza administration has focused on a paradigm shift in healthcare delivery with renewed attention to preventive and promotive health services that begin at home.
This is in line with Ruto's pledge to accelerate Kenya’s attainment of UHC as set out under the government’s Bottom Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).
The ministry says the CHPs will play a critical role in decongesting hospitals in the country noting that minor ailments will be diagnosed and treated at the community level.
Each promoter will be responsible for 100 households and will be equipped with modern medical equipment and deployed in communities across Kenya.
