Involvement of Regional Medical Training Institutions in In-Service Training: Lessons from Kenya

ContextA training needs assessment conducted by the Ministry of Health in 2012 revealed that 80% of health workforce in-service trainings in Kenya were conducted in hotels and funded primarily by donors, making them unsustainable. The USAID-funded, IntraHealth International-led FUNZOKenya project is supporting the Ministry of Health to transform health workforce training. The project is addressing current health workers’ in-service training needs through training institutions organized under eight regional training hubs. A hub comprises medical training institutions, affiliated hospitals, and partners in a region.

SettingAccording to the 2010 Constitution, training remains a function of the national government, though implementation is at the county level. The project’s regional training strategy seeks to expand access to in-service training for health workers through the selected training institutions.

ObjectiveTo increase access to high-quality in-service training of health workers.

Results

From July 2012 to April 2014, over 6,500 health workers received in-service training. Over a 6-month period (July-December 2012), the hotel-based model provided in-service training to 1662 health workers, compared with 2862 health workers trained (72% more) using the regional training hub model (April-September 2013).

The cost per trainee of a 10-day institution-based training was 37% lower than a comparable hotel-based training.

Peter Milo, Mary Kamau, Judy Karia, Ian Wanyoike, Isaac Munene, Mohamed Hussein, Benjamin Cheboi, Allan Oginga, and Bonventure Musyoki- IntraHealth International

Box 66726-00800,Nairobi,KenyaTel:+254(20)3746845/ 735573212pmilo@intrahealth.org

DesignThrough a competitive selection process, the project involved 15 training institutions from the public, private, and faith-based sectors.

The institutions offered courses either identified as priorities through the 2012 training needs assessment or approved by the Ministry of Health technical departments responsible for HIV/AIDS, reproductive health, and maternal, newborn, and child health.

6,500No . of health

workers trained between July 2012-

April 2014

72% increase in no. of

trainees when training is done in

institutions

37% reduction in cost

when training is done in institutions

Unit cost comparison for PMTCT training in hotel vs training institution (US$)

Training location Unit cost in

hotel

Unit cost in training

institution% cost

reduction Nakuru 594 413 30.5Nyeri 815 518 36.5Mombasa 890 568 36.2Kakamega 830 517 37.7Nairobi 622 324 47.9

Average unit cost 625 390 37.7

Acknowledgements: Ministry of Health-Kenya and FUNZOKenya collaborating medical training institutions

(Above) an instructor demonstrates a procedure. (Below) health workers practice at an in-service training session.

Participants after one of the trainings held at Outspan Medical Training College in September 2014