NAIROBI, Kenya- The Kenya Dental Association (KDA) has expressed concern over what it describes as the continued establishment and implementation of healthcare training programmes without adequate regulatory oversight, warning that the trend could affect students, patients and the broader healthcare system.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, KDA President Dr. Kahura Mundia said healthcare education is a highly regulated sector because graduates directly impact public health and patient safety.
He warned that professional healthcare courses introduced without proper accreditation, curriculum validation, clinical training standards and stakeholder engagement could undermine the integrity of healthcare training in the country.
The association said students enrolled in programmes that fail to meet regulatory requirements risk being denied professional registration and licensure upon graduation.
It noted that such qualifications may also fail to gain recognition from professional regulatory boards and employers.
According to the KDA, parents and sponsors who finance such programmes could also incur financial losses if the courses do not meet accreditation standards required for professional practice.
The association further cautioned that patients could face risks if graduates from inadequately regulated programmes enter the healthcare workforce without sufficient clinical exposure, qualified instruction or standardized competency assessments.
KDA also raised concerns over what it termed the emergence of “backdoor” healthcare training pathways and unstandardized professional programmes, saying such developments could reverse gains made in strengthening healthcare education and professional regulation in Kenya.
At the centre of the association’s concerns is the Bachelor of Science in Oral Health degree programme. The KDA said it has reservations about the programme’s structure and alignment with established competency frameworks, scope of practice and professional standards governing dental healthcare delivery in Kenya.
Dr. Mundia said the association has formally written to the Ministry of Education, the Commission for University Education (CUE), professional regulatory councils and other quality assurance agencies seeking clarification on the accreditation status, regulatory approvals, clinical training arrangements and professional recognition pathways of the programmes in question.
The KDA has called on relevant authorities to ensure all healthcare training programmes comply fully with accreditation requirements, regulatory standards and quality assurance measures.
