The Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) Mandera campus is set for the official lunch after major construction works were completed.
The Sh200 million KMTC Mandera Campus lies on a 19-acre plot of land adjacent to the Mandera Teachers Training College.
KMTC board led by Chairperson Joseah Cheruiyot on Thursday visited the campus to assess the progress of the construction.
The construction of the campus began in 2018, funded by the County Government of Mandera and the Equalization Fund.
Speaking when he visited the campus on Friday, Cheruiyot expressed gratitude for the establishment of the campus, highlighting its potential to attract students from neighbouring Ethiopia and Somalia.
"I understand that Mandera, as a marginalised county, faces numerous development challenges, but the construction of this facility demonstrates the Governor's dedication to healthcare," KMTC CEO Dr Kelly Oluoch said.
Oluoch said the college has contacted regulatory bodies to evaluate the suitability of the facility for hosting Nursing and Clinical Medicine, among other courses.
Mandera Governor Mohamed Adan Khalif expressed gratitude that the campus will help address staffing problems which have affected the county for so many years.
"We have had health workers assigned here, but unfortunately, many don't stay, leaving our facilities understaffed," Khalif said.
"We initiated the construction of this facility for this reason. We aim to produce healthcare professionals to serve our community."
The governor revealed that the County has allocated funds to cover over 50 per cent of learning expenses for local students.
The campus boasts a magnificent administration block, classrooms, laboratories, a 1,000-capacity multipurpose hall and student hostels.
Last month, President William Ruto reiterated the government's commitment to provide top-notch healthcare professional training.
Ruto emphasized that the completion and operation of the school would contribute significantly to achieving Universal Health Coverage as well-trained personnel are valuable both locally and internationally.
“We need additional health workers from nurses, health record officials, clinical officers, pharmacists and all other professionals hence why we are expanding our KMTC colleges across Kenya,” Ruto said.
“We will ensure the campus is fully equipped so that by the time students are coming in in September it will be ready to offer lessons,” he noted.
The President said the government is committed to ensuring that all Kenyans have access to quality healthcare.
This, he said, remains the government’s priority as we roll out the Universal Health Coverage across the country.