NAIROBI, Kenya Dec 4- Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has acceded to a long-standing request by the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) to have its students included in the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) support program.
This paving the way for thousands of trainee health workers to access government-backed financial aid.
The Deputy President said the Government would move with speed to formalize the arrangement, adding that he will next week convene a meeting with the Ministries of Health, Education and the National Treasury to agree on a practical and sustainable rollout mechanism.
“The Government has acceded to the request by KMTC to include its students in the support programme through HELB. DP will next week convene a meeting with Ministries of Health, Education and National Treasury to agree on a rollout mechanism,” Kindiki stated.
The Deputy President also announced that the Government will operationalize 18 new KMTC campuses at a cost of Sh1 billion, a move designed to increase training capacity and accommodate more students across the country.
DP Kindiki said KMTC will remain central to the Government’s plan to successfully implement Universal Health Coverage (UHC), noting that the institution plays a pivotal role in training medical staff and community health promoters.
“To facilitate effective implementation of the Universal Health Coverage, KMTC will play a pivotal role in the training of medical staff and community health promoters,”the Deputy President stated.
He revealed that 107,000 community health promoters have already been deployed and equipped with medical kits, enabling them to support millions of households nationwide through early diagnosis, home-based care and referrals to health facilities.
The Deputy President pointed out that the Government’s prioritization of healthcare in its economic transformation agenda.
Currently, 28 million Kenyans are registered under the Social Health Authority (SHA)up from 7.5 million under the former National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF).
He said the Government is intensifying the registration drive, with the aim of covering all 55 million Kenyans.
DP Kindiki reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to expanding access, improving quality and building a robust health workforce as the foundation of a stronger, healthier and more productive nation.
