The Principal Secretary State Department for Public Health and Professional Standards, Mary Muthoni, visited the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC), Eldoret campus to assess the available human resources and infrastructure, establishing the gaps that need to be addressed in the health sector.
Addressing the media at the KMTC, Eldoret campus, the PS said that the institution is one of the largest that produces Human Resources for Health (HRH), as it is a critical agenda item in the Ministry of Health.
”Our collaboration also extends to the training of Human Resources for Health, with a keen emphasis on supporting the KMTC to enhance the training and development of healthcare professionals, fostering a skilled workforce to address current and future health challenges,” said the PS.
“I encourage the students that this is the place to be, and we must guard our institutions to get the quality cadres that we need out there, and we will continue improving and placing more and more students,” she said.
“We need to collaborate very closely between the national and county governments in the realm of preventive and Promotive health,” noted Muthoni.
She further noted that the specific focus is on bolstering primary care facilities and programmes to ensure a comprehensive and accessible healthcare system for all Kenyans.
She noted that President William Ruto flagged off one hundred thousand Community Health Promoters (CHPs) to reach the grassroots level, as this initiative is important for disease prevention and equipping CHPs with the skills to champion this cause effectively.
“The CHP is one important person in society who is going to be the referral person and interlink between our health facilities and ourselves,” said Muthoni.
“This collaborative effort not only signifies a commitment to the well-being of Uasin Gishu residents but sets a precedent for cooperative partnerships between national and county governments, ensuring a healthier and more resilient community,” said the PS.
“Climate change and health are interlinked, like the continuous heavy rains which are going to increase as we progress, and so many issues may arise that are going to affect our health,” she said.
She noted that fourteen thousand people die every year from climate change-related issues like respiratory diseases through emissions and inhalation, and the Ministry of Health has the right to lead the public health specialists to come out and plant trees in large numbers, as planting trees is the priority of mitigating climate change.
“The people of this country deserve even better, and we are going to ensure that the health agenda is strengthened so that Kenyans can access quality services,” she noted.
By Judy Too
