A new cohort of healthcare professionals has officially joined Kenya’s medical workforce after graduating from John Charles Medical Training College in Ruai, Nairobi County.
The institution, which is domiciled at Ruai Family Hospital Healthcare, graduated about 80 medical professionals in a ceremony marked by calls for discipline, compassion, professional excellence and lifelong service.
The event brought together graduates, families, faculty members and health sector leaders, with speakers urging the new professionals to view healthcare not merely as a career, but as a calling that demands sacrifice, resilience and humanity.
Kenya’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office at Nairobi and the United Nations Environment Programme, Ida Odinga, delivered the keynote address, drawing from her personal experience growing up in a family of medical professionals.
Odinga paid tribute to her mother, whom she described as one of the pioneering women who entered Kenya’s healthcare profession at a time when female representation in medicine was limited.
She recalled how her mother balanced the demands of medical duty with motherhood, often responding to emergencies at night without hesitation.
“That was the standard she set, not just for our family, but for what this profession demands,” Odinga said.
She told the graduates that the healthcare profession requires more than technical competence, warning that they were not stepping into a conventional nine-to-five career. Medicine, she said, calls for commitment at all hours and often under difficult circumstances.
Odinga urged the graduates to treat patients with dignity, reminding them that behind every diagnosis is a human being with fears, loved ones and a personal story.
She further challenged them to actively seek mentorship and learn from professionals who have demonstrated excellence in the sector, saying strong role models are essential in shaping ethical and competent practitioners.
“The world is waiting for you. Go and meet it with purpose,” she told the graduates.
RFH Healthcare Group Managing Director and John Charles Medical Training College head Dr Maxwell Okoth said the institution was proud of the graduating class and remained committed to producing competent, ethical and disciplined healthcare workers.
He said the college had continued to strengthen its academic systems, modernize training infrastructure and expand opportunities that respond to the changing needs of the health sector in Kenya and beyond.
Dr Okoth reminded the graduates that their conduct in hospitals, clinics and other health facilities would reflect not only on them as individuals, but also on the institution that trained them.
“You are our ambassadors. How you conduct yourselves in the field will speak louder than any certificate,” he said.
He encouraged them to remain curious, embrace continuous learning and keep pace with emerging trends in medical technology and practice.
For the graduates, the ceremony marked the end of one chapter and the beginning of a demanding professional journey.
Felisters Wangechi, one of the graduands and a healthcare support services assistant at RFH Imara Mall branch, described the moment as a dream come true.
She graduated alongside her colleague Martha Machina, who serves at the RFH Ruiru branch.
“This graduation means so much to me as I continue serving humanity with compassion and dedication. It is a dream come true, and we thank the management of John Charles Medical Training College for equipping us with the necessary medical skills to undertake our work more diligently as we serve our patients moving forward,” Wangechi said.
Across the ceremony, the message to the graduates was clear – Kenya’s health sector requires professionals who combine technical skill with character, compassion and a commitment to continuous growth.
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