The Country lacks enough nurses who could properly administer medical services to patients in various public hospitals and other health facilities country wide, with a deficit of over 26,000.
The situation has been a result of most qualified nurses seeking employment abroad thus causing the country to suffer such great shortage of medical professionals.
Addressing students and other stakeholders during the opening of a new building which houses eight modern classrooms and a library at the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) in Mombasa Monday, the KMTC Board Executive Director Engineer Peter Tum said the gap is becoming bigger and needs to be tackled.
He said that the country needs to secure its health sector and as well ensure that health professionals are guarded, employed and paid well so that they can deliver the much needed services to locals.
“Our colleges have the capacity to admit about 9,000 students in every intake though the application forms submitted by students surpass 25,000. These figures are worrying and should be deeply looked into,” added Tum.
Tum appealed to students at the Coast to apply for courses offered at KMTC colleges so they can venture into the health profession and assist locals.
On his part, Mvita member of Parliament Abdulswamad Shariff Nassir said that the institution has already signed a memorandum where by 30 percent of the students enrolled in the institution will be from the Coast region.
“We need a total assurance from the KMTC board that our students will be given priority and not discriminated,” said the Mvita legislator.
He appealed to students in secondary schools to embrace the profession so they can build their career.
Nassir said that the expansion of the institution is still on as students admitted recently will need accommodation.
The member of Parliament assured locals that he has given priority to education and urged youths not to embarrass him.
The new ultra modern building with eight classes and a modern library is worth KES 55 million from the Mvita Constituency development fund (CDF).
