The Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) is facing an admissions crisis following low levels of students applying for various courses at its campuses spread across the country.
Unlike in previous years, the institution, which has been rapidly expanding in recent months, is now seeking the help of its students to try and soar up the number of those who will be admitted during the September 2018 intake.
According to a circular issued after an Admissions Board meeting, Principals have been asked to hold meetings with Heads of Departments and ask them to in turn hold meetings with students in their departments to ask them to communicate to their relatives, friends and the youth in the community who qualify to any of the courses advertised for September 2018 to apply.
KMTC presently has 65 campuses across the 47 counties from only 28 five years ago as a strategy to bridge the healthcare worker deficit in the country as a result of a steady increase in population. Last year, it admitted 12,000 students, double the usual number.
KMTC offers 18 programmes in medicine and health. In addition, new post-graduate programmes in nephrology, anaesthesia, trauma medicine and several others were introduced to address emerging and reemerging diseases.
The institution trains 80% of the healthcare workforce in Kenya and the expansion was meant to ensure it meeting increasing demand for health workers due to the equally rapid expansion of health facilities in the counties.
However, it appears not many youth are enthusiastic to match the institution’s ambitions if the decrease in applicants this year is anything to go by.
KMTC is also facing competition from universities and other colleges offering medical courses, which have also been expanding to all parts of the country.
The crisis, however, comes as the institution continues with the expansion spree. A new campus is planned for Keumbu in Kisii, which will bring to three the number of campuses in the county after Kisii and Nyamache.
Last week, KMTC board chairman Prof Philip Kaloki also announced plans to put up a campus in Mukurwe ini, which will be the third in Nyeri county, on a 10-acre piece of land donated by the county government.
He also signed an agreement with Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru to establish two campuses in the county.
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Kaloki said the expansion was necessary to boost the government agenda to provide universal healthcare.
Here is the memo signed by Nancy Michire on behalf of the Director Peter Tum:
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