The Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) celebrated its 92nd graduation ceremony at the Moi International Sports Stadium in Kasarani, releasing an impressive cohort of 22,695 health workers into the job market. Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and Health CS Susan Nakhumicha graced this historic occasion.
In the 96-year history of KMTC, this graduation witnessed its highest number of graduates, comprising a diverse cohort of 870 higher diploma recipients, 12,917 diploma holders, and an additional 8,908 awarded certificates. Notably, the majority of these graduates are nurses, showcasing the popularity of nursing courses at KMTC.
Recognizing the significance of this achievement in bridging Kenya’s healthcare gap, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua emphasized its crucial role. Kenya currently falls short with only eight nurses per 10,000 population, a number significantly below the WHO’s recommended ratio of 25 per 10,000. However, with more professionals entering the field freshly minted and prepared for service, improved nurse-to-patient ratios become achievable, ultimately enhancing overall health outcomes.
Despite the critical need for healthcare professionals, the job market poses challenges, with local employment opportunities shrinking due to stagnant county allocations. Deputy President Gachagua, through his emphasis on strategic research, highlighted a crucially important strategy. Leveraging KMTC’s extensive network of campuses not only as an academic resource but also as a source for generating key data is vital information aimed at benefiting community health promoters operating at the grassroots level.
Joseah Cheruiyot, the Chairman of KMTC, presented the institution’s ambitious strategic plan for 2023-2028. With a focus on digital transformation and excellence, the plan involves developing instruments for such a transformation, reducing paper-based processes to embrace emerging technologies more effectively, and fortifying ICT infrastructure across all campuses. Additionally, aiming towards best practices in specific academic domains, it outlines an initiative to establish cross-functional centers of excellence.
The Nairobi-based United Nations Office in Nairobi, under the leadership of Director General Zainab Bangura, emphasizes the significance of nursing specialization in attaining UN Sustainable Development Goal number three. KMTC joins prestigious institutions such as Kenyatta National Hospital and Cicely McDonell College of Health Science at the Nairobi Hospital that recently produced a new wave of health workers.