Sixty-six new pediatric and critical care nurses have graduated from Gertrude’s Institute of Health and Child Research.

According to Gertrude’s , the new professionals will bolster service delivery in the country, especially for children.

“This achievement is a significant milestone demonstrating the institution’s commitment to closing the skills gap in paediatric nursing in Kenya and ensuring a healthier future for the country’s children,” said the facility in a statement.

Further, the Facility noted that the country currently has an estimated 42 nurses for 100,000 people; this, it says, is against the World Health Organisation’s recommended ratio of 240 nurses for 100,000 people, making the country still far off the threshold.

PHOTO | COURTESY: Image: X/Gertrude’s Institute of Health and Child Research

The new graduates, the institute adds, are part of a larger cohort of 130 individuals who have completed programmes at the institute in four different specializations, which include emergency medical technicians and healthcare assistants.

The institution has exuded confidence that the new cohort will play a critical role in turning around the paediatric sector in the country.