Kigali Health Institute

CLINICAL OFFICERS TRAINING PROGRAMME AT KIGALI HEALTH INSTITUTE

Introduction

The Ministry of Health in collaboration with Kigali Health Institute started training Clinical Officers in 2011/2012 academic year. Two programmes are implemented for the purpose of providing short and long term solutions to the Rwandan healthcare workforce. The first is a Bridging program of 18 months and candidates enrolled to this program are holders of advanced Diploma (A1) either in Nursing or Clinical Medicine and Community Health. The second programme is four years course whose candidates are senior six leavers or A2 Nurses. The graduates of the Clinical Officers Programme will be awarded with an honors degree in Clinical Medicine and Community Health.

Vision

The Department envisions being a centre of excellence in developing Clinical Officers of highest standard to serve humanity and improve the standards of health care in Rwanda and beyond.

Mission

Our mission is to produce graduates who are competent and ethically committed   to deliver quality health care based on curative, preventive, rehabilitative and restorative services to individuals and families in the community. The department of Clinical Officers will strive to provide professionally based health training that is community-oriented to meet the health care needs of Rwandan population and of other developing nations.

Structure of the Program

The curriculum focuses on Community and Public Health; Clinical Medicine; and Health Center Management. The program is student centered that offers trainees the opportunity for self directed learning in search of knowledge and relevant skills. The Clinical Officer trainees are also prepared to develop and apply critical thinking and problem solving techniques in execution of their work including participation in health research.

Roles of Clinical Officers

Clinical Officers are middle level cadres who play vital roles in the delivery of health care services to individuals and families in the community. They are responsible for the diagnosis and management of diseases seen in general practice within health facilities and catchment area, and refer cases beyond their skills to physicians for further management. Furthermore, Clinical Officers in collaboration with other health care team conduct   community diagnosis and promote school health services among others. They are also trained to manage effectively and efficiently the resources in the health centers, outpatient units of hospitals and other workplace.

Admission requirements

For the entrance to basic training program, candidates have to fulfill the following requirements:
High school certificate with Mathematics, Physical Chemistry, and Biology subjects with a principal pass score in at least two of these subject areas, one of which must be in Biology. 
The selection procedures will follow the KHI academic regulations, which shall include the scrutiny of the academic transcripts and interviews, which may be oral, written, or both.

Program Courses