Is Occupational Therapy Marketable in Kenya? (2024)

Occupational therapists treat injured, ill, or disabled patients through the therapeutic use of everyday activities. They help these patients develop, recover, improve, as well as maintain the skills needed for daily living and working. There is lots of work involved in this course and there are so many things that can be carried out by you, occupational therapy is one of those courses that help in daily living, though it can be stressful because there is so much work involved in it. Occupational therapy allows you to work in different areas of life and several places, you may have to deal with setbacks and manage tough situations, but you will also need to help get people back on their feet and make a difference.

Is Occupational Therapy Marketable in Kenya?

Occupational Therapy is the branch of science that deals with curing and rehabilitating physically, emotionally and mentally disabled and challenged people. A unique healthcare career that empowers you to change lives and make meaningful connections, working as an occupational therapist will allow you to improve a patients’ overall quality of life. Occupational therapy is not a marketable course in Kenya, there are fewer hospitals or even companies that would need the job of an occupational therapist and many might find it difficult to afford the fees. Kenya is still developing and there are so many things that can be introduced into the system that can benefit the system, introducing occupational therapists to the healthcare sectors is one of those ways that can improve the healthcare and the lives of the citizen-facing disabilities or mental problems in the country. As an occupational therapist, you are continually challenged to tailor treatments to your patients, you will have to think outside of the box and get creative with available materials and tools. If you are a creative thinker and a problem solver then this course might just be the best option for you.

There are so many patients that you will treat as an occupational therapist and all of them comes with their challenges. Some patients will be more difficult to help than others and sometimes it might become frustrating but what matters is the ability to help them and make their lives easier for them in the long run. An Occupational therapist can help a child on the autism spectrum deal with the stress caused by social situations, like going to school. In diabetes and obesity cases, occupational therapy can help identify habits that could be modified for a healthier lifestyle, the growing number of senior citizens occupational therapist can help them live a healthy lifestyle till old age, stroke survivors often suffer the loss of skills or coordination, and occupational therapy can help survivors regain abilities and even minimize the risk of another stroke. As an occupational therapist, it is not compulsory that you work in hospitals, long as you are good at what you do, you can have an office or even decide to work from home and help in treating communities and making sure they are all right.

There are so many benefits to becoming an occupational therapist and it is really important you understand the field before you jump into it. There are no easy ways in becoming an occupational therapist, the career can be rewarding but everything does not go as planned always, there might be some patients that will stress you or make things difficult for you in the long run. Sometimes you’ll be unable to help people, no matter how successful their surgery was, no matter how diligent the patient is with their exercises, and no matter how frequently you see the patient each week. It is heartbreaking when you, your patient or the patient’s family put so much effort into therapy and you reach an obstacle you can’t overcome, you will need to accept situations like this because it is beyond your control and there is nothing you can do to change what has already happened. Handling situations like this can be very tricky and the way you handle situations like this can change the patient’s life forever. Passing through the ugly side of being an occupational therapist can be somewhat difficult but over time you will get used to it, there are times you will have to teach patients how to use the toilets again, and there are times you will have to witness body fluids from patients, some patients might have trouble wiping themselves and you will need to assist them, sometimes you will need to do wound cleaning on some patients, you will tend to see blood and every other discharge that you will see. It is important to anticipate all of this and more that you will see, some patients will get grumpy while they are ill and you do not have to pressure them or get angry with them, you will have to treat them with care and compassion in the long run.

Requirements to Study Occupational Therapy in Kenya

Some requirements are needed before you can apply to study occupational therapy in Kenya. Not every school in Kenya offers this course and it is better you know the requirements that are needed. Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) Minimum aggregate of C (plain). C in English or Kiswahili and C- In biology or Biological Sciences. Healthcare professionals with a minimum of a Basic Diploma from the KMTC and other accredited training institutions.

Roles of an Occupational Therapist

• Evaluating a patient’s condition and needs.
• Developing treatment plans to address a patient’s needs and help them meet specific goals.
• As an occupational therapist, you’ll help people who have difficulties carrying out day-to-day activities because of a disability, illness, trauma, ageing, and a range of long-term conditions.

Conclusion

Being an occupational therapist is not easy as there are so many issues that you will face along the way. The need for an occupational therapists in the society is very important, one of the major issues you will face as an aspiring student in Kenya is that upon graduation it will be difficult for you to get a job.