By Agwanda Jakorandoh.

Lake Institute of Tropical Medicine is presently the only registered private medical college in Western Kenya approved to train Clinical Medicine and Surgery by the Clinical Council of Kenya.

The college which is situated on the ground and buildings of what once used to be known as Lake Nursing Home in Kisumu City which was once owned by Asian Doctors.

According to the college’s Principal Mr. Francis Odimba Andanda a trained registered nurse by profession, “the college was launched in January 2004 and has since admitted many student for diploma and certificate courses in Pharmacy, Medical Laboratory Sciences, Community Health and Development and Medical and Psychological Counseling” he said.

 This is evidenced by one’s visit to the institution as female students will be noticed in blue uniforms or male ones in white shirts  and black trousers shuttling within the institution going to and fro from their classes and respective hostels, as one enters the college’s 52 seater bus will be noticed parked near the college’s administration block.

The Principal went further to say that his Institution has since become a fast growing non-profit making organization whose overall objective is to provide quality training and supplements the government efforts of providing quality health care, particularly to the disadvantaged rural communities.

Saying that many parents are exploited by paying exorbitant amounts of money to sponsor their children to the neighboring countries and overseas for medical courses which is easily aid at LITMED.

“It is in recognition of this need that Lake Institute of Tropical Medicine was launched, our overall role is to supplement the government’s efforts of providing Quality Health Care through well-planned complementary based Health Care Training Programmes” Mr.Andanda added.

The Institute is fully registered by the Ministries of Education and Health and presently offers the following courses; Community Health and Development, Clinical Medicine and Surgery (Diploma), Medical Laboratories Sciences, Medical and Psychology Counselling, Home Based Care (certificate only) and Bio Medical Science and Technology.

“Our Institute is also associated officially with Jommo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology and their Programmes are offered at LITMED i.e. Diploma in Business Administration and Diploma in Community Development, then there are NASCOP programme offered here also like Voluntary Counseling and Testing and Prevention of Mother-child-Transmission” Mr. Andanda further told us.

The graduates from the Institute are fully recognized country wide and most of them now are in internship, and their market targets are usually NGO’s due to the quality of materials the students are given and discipline.

“Then there is the quality of lecturers who are trained from masters degree to diploma levels which cut across the board and are registered with the relevant medical bodies, more so the college is growing real fast and we intend to introduce other courses which are market rich”Andanda added.

He further said that once they have been given agreen light by the relevant authorities, they are set to begin the following courses; Diploma in Disaster Management, Diploma in HIV/AIDS Management, Diploma in Tropical Medicine, Diploma in Physiotherapy, Diploma in Community Nutrition and Dietetics ,Diploma in Media Studies ,IT and Nursing.

Asked about the students’ attachment, Mr Andanda said that presently they have a routine attachment with Kisumu District Hospital, New Nyanza Provincial General Hospital,
Mbale Provincial Rural Health Training Centre, Chulaimbo Provincial Rural Health Training Centre and Josra International, however he added that the student has a right to choose where he/she wants to be attached.
 
“The Institute involved in student/teacher exchange programmes with other colleges and Universities both locally and internationally, also the College has research, production and extension department and also LITMED is an accreditation centre for KNEC exams, in collaboration with the Dublin Metropolitan University-Ireland, students take exams, then there is also LITMED exams board which includes Doctors and lecturers from local Universities.

 Spot check at the Institution shows that it has four teaching Laboratories; Biomedical, Analytical ,Clinical and Dispensing with each having its equipment ,reagents, chemicals and apparatus while all the students are to undergo all basic computer skills in computer applications and research programmes not forgetting the in-house library facility.

 And not only academics which take place there without extra-curricular activities, the college has succeeded under Kenya Technical Institutions Sports Association (KETISA) in both ball games, field and track events.

“LITMED was crowned the in-charge of First AID nationally due to their competence and being the only Medical Institution in the Association”Andanda adds showing us the trophy they won.

The college presently has a total of 573 students and aplace worth taking one’s child.

ENDS………………………..