Nairobi: The Kenya Dental Association (KDA) has raised alarm over the proliferation of unapproved and substandard healthcare training programmes in universities and colleges. They warned that such courses risk producing unqualified practitioners and endangering patient safety.
According to Kenya News Agency, during a press briefing in Nairobi, KDA President Dr. Kahura Mundia emphasized the necessity for healthcare training institutions to align their programmes with standards set by the Ministries of Health and Education. This alignment is crucial to ensure that graduates attain the required competencies for professional practice. Dr. Mundia highlighted that the Ministry of Health had already issued directives mandating all healthcare-related courses, including dentistry, medicine, pharmacy, and nursing, to conform to both national and international professional standards.
Dr. Mundia stressed the need for cooperation between the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health, asserting that healthcare training cannot operate independently without consultation. He pointed out that oral health studies in Kenya are currently offered under the Bachelor of Dental Surgery programme, which has been the recognised training standard for decades. Attempts to fragment the discipline into alternative degree programmes without proper structures and approvals were deemed unacceptable.
‘We have a degree that has been in practice for the last 50 years, where students undergo rigorous training, internships, and competency assessments before they are licensed. Universities cannot set up programmes without hospitals, equipment, trainers, and patients for clinical exposure,’ said Dr. Mundia.
He warned that students enrolled in unapproved programmes risk failing to obtain a professional license upon graduation, leading to the loss of school fees and wasted years of study. The KDA President expressed concerns over emerging programmes in several universities, noting that some institutions were introducing courses that did not align with internationally accepted competency standards in healthcare training.
According to Dr. Mundia, healthcare workers must undergo supervised practical training, maintain logbooks, and complete internship requirements before being cleared to work independently. ‘You cannot go out and see patients without logbooks, internship records, and proper supervision. Healthcare is not a place where you just stand near a doctor and watch,’ he stated.
He revealed that the Ministry of Health had convened meetings with stakeholders, including universities and professional regulators, where institutions committed themselves to aligning their programmes with ministry directives by September this year. Dr. Mundia insisted that claims of a lack of consultation were unfounded, as universities attended the meetings and committed themselves to standardisation.
Dr. Mundia further called on private universities to invest adequately in healthcare training infrastructure to meet global standards. He emphasized the necessity of properly trained doctors to ensure quality healthcare services. In a recent court ruling regarding the matter, Dr. Mundia clarified that the court had directed the Ministry of Education to address the issue but emphasized that the ministry could not act without consulting the Ministry of Health.
The KDA President also cautioned parents and students against enrolling in unaccredited courses offered by institutions lacking approval from relevant regulatory bodies. He disclosed that some affected students had already been advised to undertake refresher and retraining programmes to align their qualifications with national competency requirements.
KDA officials accompanying Dr. Mundia reiterated that the association’s position aimed to safeguard public health and maintain professional standards. Dr. Muiridi Kaaria, a prosthodontist and lecturer, described the emergence of such programmes as ‘quackery in training,’ warning that they undermine the integrity of the dental profession.
Dr. Laura Izaya, a lecturer at the University of Nairobi School of Dental Sciences, acknowledged the shortage of healthcare workers in Kenya but insisted that lowering training standards is not the solution. She advocated for increased efforts to train qualified personnel who can provide quality healthcare.
The association expressed concern over the rapid growth of medical colleges and healthcare programmes without proper accreditation, warning that many students risk being blacklisted after graduation. Dr. Mundia urged all institutions planning to introduce healthcare courses to strictly follow the law, engage stakeholders, and obtain approvals from the relevant authorities before admitting students.
