Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha has announced that the government will revoke its six-year agreement with Cuban doctors.
Speaking during the official opening of the Pre-National Human Resources for Health Dialogue meeting on Wednesday, October 11, Nakhumicha explained that the Kenyan doctors were committed to the work.
Additionally, she noted that the Kenyan health care workforce had made a significant step towards offering quality healthcare services.
“I am pleased to announce that we will not be renewing the agreement for the Cuban doctors because I want to believe that our very own are going to be committed to the course,” Nakhumicha said.
“As Cabinet Secretary, I have no doubt that we are going to have a motivated workforce that is well taken care of,” she added.
Other Concerns Addressed by Nakhumicha at the Meeting
Nakhumicha also listened to other insights from healthcare professionals including the challenges faced by the workers.
Further she addressed matters concerning their training, welfare, performance management, safety, and mobility.
“The government places its faith in collaborative efforts to identify pragmatic solutions through ongoing dialogues,” added Nakhumicha.
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She also noted that the government is working on improving other aspects of the healthcare system, including health products, technologies, information, and financing.
Govt Deal with Cuban Doctors
Brokered during the tenure of Retired president Uhuru Kenyatta, the deal allowed Cuban doctors to serve in Kenyan hospitals.
At the same time, the deal allowed Kenyan doctors to go to Cuba for specialized training.
However, the deal was not embraced by the healthcare practitioners in Kenya who argued that they were being sidelined by the government despite having the capacity to offer all kinds of services.
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They also lamented that the government did not provide sufficient equipment to allow them to prove that they could do as much as the Cuban doctors did in the hospitals.
The first wave of 53 family doctors and 47 specialists came to Kenya as part of the deal, with an additional 20 specialists arriving in July 2020 to aid in the fight against COVID-19.
