The Kenya Association of Health Care Support Assistants (KAHSA) has called on the government to intensify a crackdown on institutions offering substandard training, warning that the trend is producing unqualified personnel and endangering patient safety.
Speaking to journalists in Thika, KAHSA Secretary General Rina Ndeta raised concern over colleges shortening mandatory training periods, particularly for caregiver courses that are officially structured to run for six months.
Ndeta said some institutions were compressing the programme into as little as three weeks, compromising the quality of skills imparted to learners.
“Training a six-month course in three weeks produces half-baked graduates who are incompetent and pose a serious threat to patients. We are calling on the government to be firm and weed out such institutions,” she said.
The secretary general noted that while some non-compliant schools had already been shut down and their operators prosecuted, many others continue to operate without registration, luring unsuspecting students with promises of quick certification.
According to the association, the shortened courses are particularly attractive to learners seeking faster entry into the job market, often at the expense of proper training and professional standards.
KAHSA Patron Dennis Oketch urged students to verify the accreditation status of institutions before enrolling, cautioning against programmes that fall short of the required duration.
“Caregiver training must take six months, while health care support assistant courses run for one year. Anything shorter than that is not compliant with the standards,” said Oketch.
He revealed that the association has formally written to relevant regulatory bodies and offending institutions, urging swift enforcement action.
“We have raised these concerns repeatedly and now it is up to the authorities to act. The government must move with speed to shut down these colleges and hold those responsible accountable,” he added.
Oketch also flagged out the rise of unregistered recruitment agencies exploiting graduates with false promises of overseas employment, noting that many victims have lost substantial sums of money.
“Some of our members have been duped into paying over Sh200,000 to secure jobs abroad that never materialize. This is a worrying trend and we urge the government to crack down on these fraudulent agencies and bring those responsible to book,” he said.
By Muoki Charles
