Kilifi healthcare professionals embark on Dubai training programme to enhance skills development

Ten healthcare professionals from Kilifi County have departed the country for medical training in Dubai.

The programme, fully funded by Thumbay University, is designed to elevate the skills and competencies of Kilifi’s medical officers, health managers, nurses, and clinical officers. The focus is on critical areas such as critical care management, intensive care unit (ICU) operations, maternity services, neonatal care, and infection prevention.

The initiative is part of a broader collaboration between the Kilifi County Government and Thumbay University, following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in February this year.

The programme is designed not only to enhance the medical expertise of the Kilifi County healthcare workers but also to introduce them to international standards of service delivery and patient care.

Kilifi Governor Gideon Mung’aro has expressed his optimism about the impact this training will have on the county’s healthcare system. “I am happy to announce that an agreement has been reached to provide partial scholarships for postgraduate medical training to medical officers in partnership with Kilifi County Government and Thumbay University,” he said.

“A team of healthcare workers composed of doctors, nurses, and administrators have left for a specialised medical training course at Thumbay University Hospital, United Arab Emirates. This is part of the memorandum of understanding we signed with the university to open up opportunities for our healthcare workers for training, technology, and knowledge transfer. The team will undergo specialised training in the fields of hospital management, emergency and critical care management, as well as oncology.”

Governor Mung’aro further emphasized the importance of this training programme, highlighting that it is tailored to meet the specific needs of Kilifi’s healthcare sector. “This unique custom-made course is designed to provide in-depth knowledge and hands-on experience. The course aims to equip our team with the latest techniques, tools, and best practices for effective service delivery for our patients,” he added.

The programme is expected to produce tangible results in the form of improved healthcare services across Kilifi County.

Ripple effect

Among the 10 professionals selected for the training are doctors, nurses, and administrators who will gain advanced skills in various aspects of healthcare management and service delivery. This training is anticipated to have a ripple effect on the county’s healthcare system, as the knowledge and skills acquired will be disseminated to their colleagues upon their return.

Senior Kilifi County Health Official, Dr Eddy Nzomo underscored the significance of this training for the county’s healthcare development.

“The governor's main agenda is to improve healthcare services in the county, and the reason they are going is because of that, to gain experience in customer care and how others do international things like infection prevention, accident emergency, and administration. When you return, you will be the leaders, and also go learn matters of cancer, you will lead others. This is the first group that is going, it is a programme that will continue for a while, and others will also go until we have a team in every hospital that can bring change to ensure that healthcare services in Kilifi have improved.”

He further urged the participants to take their roles seriously. “Let it not be that you are just going there for a visit because the citizens have very high expectations. Let this journey be an opportunity that you will come back and bring change to the health sector,” Dr Nzomo said.

The healthcare workers themselves expressed a mixture of excitement and responsibility as they prepared to depart for Dubai.

One of the participants, speaking on the significance of this opportunity, said, “I am very happy to get this opportunity to go and integrate with international hospitals. It has always been my dream to see Kilifi County get the chance to maintain its healthcare services to reach international standards. As I go there, I have a duty and also the expectation that when I return, I will be able to bring back some of the things I will have learned there to improve healthcare services in Kilifi County.”

Another healthcare worker added, “I am excited. It is my first time going to Dubai, and I am excited about this opportunity. It is a learning one for us as administrators and doctors, and we are excited to go and learn more and bring whatever we learn back to our county.”

The healthcare professionals are determined to utilise this training to improve service delivery in Kilifi County. “I expect to bring back better service delivery, better care to my patients, better communication,” said one participant.

Another noted, “As an administrator, I am looking forward to gaining more experience on how to manage the hospital’s day-to-day running in terms of financing and human resource challenges that we are facing, and how the other side manages.”

The enthusiasm among the participants is palpable, with one specialist working in the ICU stating, “I want to see how they admit the patients and the discharge criteria, how they manage their ventilated patients, and also how they manage some specific conditions that we normally have in our unit. So, I am expecting to learn a lot from them and transmit that to our healthcare. I believe our quality care for our patients will improve.”