KMPDU commends Gov’t for revoking deal with Cuban Doctors.
Speaking during the opening of Pre-National Human Resources for Health Dialogue at the Windsor Golf Hotel in Nairobi, The health cabinet secretary, Susan Nakhimichu stated that the government will not renew Cuban doctors’ contracts.
She cited that the doctors in Kenya were well equipped to handle the hospital and health sectors in Kenya.
Nakhumicha stated,”We have decided not to renew the agreement with the Cuban doctors. Our very own healthcare professionals are committed to the cause.”
Lauding the health ministry, was KMPDU general secretary, Atellah, who stated that termination of the Cuban doctors contracts was a good.
He cited that for instance, the cost of employing 150 Cuban medical professionals is equal to recruiting 500 Kenyan doctors.
He added that Importation of labour creates disruptions such as imbalanced competition for scarce jobs while brain drain is necessitated by medics securing opportunities abroad, thus leading to a loss of skilled workforce,
Atellah stated,”The scope of family medicine practice in Kenya and Cuba are different, hence the need to train the doctors to adjust to the program.”
“After training in Cuba, they still returned to Kenya and had to undergo two years of training in Kenya so that the medical council could clear them to practice as family doctors. They were being housed by the counties, paid triple the salaries made by Kenyan doctors and given a driver and security at the expense of our local doctors,” he emphasised that the exchange was quite expensive,” he added.
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