Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,

It gives me great privilege and honour to welcome you on this occasion of the Launch of the Guidelines for the Training of Radiographers in Kenya. Today’s event underscores the health sector commitment to improve the health of Kenyans. As a Ministry we recognize the importance of education and training in safeguarding patients and health workers.

Ladies and gentlemen,
The government recognizes the strategic importance of raising the overall education level of Kenyans within the context of poverty reduction and economic growth. Education is not only a welfare indicator, but it is also a key determinant of earnings and, therefore, an important exit route from poverty. As a result, increased investment in human capital including health and education constitutes one of the four pillars of the governments overall economic recovery strategy.

It has also been observed that the development of human resource through education and training enables a country to achieve the desired economic and social development.
As you are aware the public health sector is undergoing reforms in many areas in order to improve efficiency in service delivery and enhance flow of funds to facilities. These include strengthening the referral system, reducing waiting time for patients, capacity building and strengthening governance structures among others.
On that note my Ministry will continue to put in place strategies that relate to skills improvement and development for its staff to be able to stimulate productivity and enhance quality of service delivery.

Ladies and gentlemen,
The government has always supported the training of radiographers in the country since 1951. I am happy to note that the training capacity at the Kenya Medical Training College has increased and more programmes are being introduced to ensure that the needs of Kenyans are addressed. The most recent development is the introduction of a higher diploma programme in radiation therapy to address the increasing cancer problems in our country.

I would like to take this chance to thank every one of you for the commitment that you have put to this process. I wish to thank our development partners for the continued support especially in the area of human resource development through scholarship awards and supply of medical equipment to ensure that we deliver accessible, affordable and quality health care to all Kenyans.

Ladies and gentlemen,
The level of quality in a training programme of any professional determines the quality of services given to the society they serve. The government is committed to achieving the highest obtainable standards of training for every individual and developing a fair and equitable society. The aim of the training guidelines is to contribute to the national welfare, economic growth and increased productivity through establishment of a curriculum, which ensures the highest attainable standards of health for all Kenyans.

The radiography profession is among the most rapidly developing professions across the world due to advances in technology. This calls for a radiographer who is able to cope with innovations and new developments in radiography. The training programme should, therefore, be tailored to empower the professional to cope with these demands.

Over the years the Government has maintained high standards of radiography training in Kenya. This has raised the demand of radiographers trained in Kenya across the world job market. The demand for radiographers has prompted more institutions of higher learning to engage in the training of radiographers. Currently the Government is in consultation with Professional Societies to ensure that the training of radiographers in the country is harmonized.
The Guidelines for the Training of Radiographers in Kenya is intended to perpetuate the quality of radiography training and avoid possible disparities among radiographers trained from different institutions of higher learning. It also benchmarks the expected standards for the training of the radiography professional in line with international standards. All training institutions intending to train radiographers in Kenya are advised to consult the guide to ensure compliance. This will ensure that their graduands will meet no resistance during registration and admission into the Practice register.

Ladies and Gentlemen,
With these few remarks, I declare the Guidelines for the Training of Radiographers in Kenya officially launched.

THANK YOU ALL!