Government’s Universal Health Coverage rolled out recently by the Ministry of Health has received a shot in the arm.
This is after specialised nurses graduated from Nairobi Hospital’s College of Health Sciences on Friday.
The 128 nurses include 74 registered nurses who have undergone a three-year diploma programme and 54 Higher Diploma Nurses who have completed their one-year training in various fields.
Out of the 54 Higher Diploma Nurses, 31 qualified in Critical Care, eight in Perioperative Nursing, five in Neonatal Nursing and 10 in Oncology Nursing.
This is expected to help bridge the nurse to patient ratio in the country which currently stand at only eight nurses per 10,000 population compared to the World Health Organization recommendation of 25 per 10,000 people.
Specialization in nursing is critical in the implementation of UHC.
This was evidenced with the acute shortage of critical care nurses at the peak of the pandemic.
The increase in the prevalence of cancer and other non-communicable diseases continues to demand for specialist nurses in various fields.
Director General of the United Nations Office in Nairobi, Zainab Bangura who graced the ceremony underscored the need to train more nurses so as to achieve universal health coverage.
Also present included the Nairobi Hospital CEO James Nyamongo, Cicely McDonell College of Health Sciences principal Dr Margaret Sirima, faculty members, health training institutions, parents and guardians among others.
This, she said, will be in conformity with the UN Sustainable Development Goal number three of ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages.
“The acute shortage of nurses makes it difficult for Africa and the rest of the world to achieve sustainable improvement in healthcare services. The biggest challenge for Kenya is the low number of nurses who serve the entire population,” she noted.
“These figures mean that Africa has a long way to go because the demand for nursing services has increased in recent years in response to the unprecedented disruption of the healthcare sector by the Covid-19 pandemic,” she added.
The UN boss said that conflicts in the region, the emergence of diseases such as Ebola in neighboring countries and other disasters caused by climate change have all mounted pressure on the delivery of healthcare services.
The Nairobi Hospital Board of Management Chairman Dr Chris Bichage said the hospital is keen on developing the required human resource capacity to take the health facility to the next level.
“As a leading private healthcare facility in East and Central Africa offering patients the best care using advanced technology in an atmosphere of trust, safety and comfort, our College of Health Sciences remains a strategic resource providing the human capital that drives the hospital’s growth,” Bichage said.
The specialised nurses for cancer, critical care, neonatal and peri-operative who graduated on Friday from the hospital’s Cicely McDonell College of Health Sciences will ensure that the people of Kenya have access to the health services they need as the nation builds a progressive, responsive and sustainable healthcare system for all Kenyans.