Over 100 biomedical engineers trained at GE Healthcare-hosted event

The engineers were drawn from both government and private health centers from across Kenya’s 47 counties.

GE Healthcare today hosted the first "Biomedical Excellence Day" in Kenya during which more than 100 biomedical engineers were trained by local and international experts. The engineers were drawn from both government and private health centers from across Kenya’s 47 counties. The training was organized in partnership with the Association of Medical Engineering of Kenya (AMEK) and held in Nairobi.

AMEK is a professional association registered under CAP 108 of the laws of Kenya and boasts of approximately 2000 members currently.

The objective of the Biomedical Excellence Day was to provide biomedical engineers with the latest information and knowledge on the use of advanced medical equipment. The full-day event also provided a platform for knowledge sharing to foster best practices in the maintenance of healthcare systems. Topics covered included Medical Equipment Lifecycle management and upgrades, Navigation through CT Technology, Code of Conduct for Medical Engineers, among other topics.

"As a leader in the healthcare sector, we believe that in order to provide sustainability of healthcare solutions, training programs for healthcare professionals need up-dating to remain relevant to their practice and to reflect advances in healthcare innovations,” said Andrew Waititu, Managing Director of GE Healthcare East Africa. "The Biomedical Excellence Day reinforces our commitment to support continuous training for healthcare professionals and support the Universal Health Coverage agenda."

In June 2016, GE Healthcare launched a US $13 million Healthcare Skills and Training Institute in Kenya in collaboration with the government to promote the training of biomedical engineers and other healthcare workers as part of the Managed Equipment Services (MES) project. This is driving capacity and capability building as a priority for sustainable development of the healthcare sector in Kenya. To date, over 1600 professionals have been trained. 

“Training in the latest medical technologies is critical for Biomedical Engineering professionals to efficiently provide quality Healthcare technology management to Kenyans through treatment, consultation, diagnosis, monitoring, administration, equipment preventive maintenance, surgery among other services. We appreciate GE Healthcare for organizing the Biomedical Excellence Day which aligns with our motto of "Strengthening healthcare technology through appropriate technology" as it bridges the skills gaps within our fraternity.” Eng. Millicent Alooh, Secretary-General, AMEK.

(With Inputs from APO)