Governors decry large number of doctors leaving Kenya

CoG Health Committee Chairperson Muthomi Njuki is now calling for a review of policies that lead to health workers leaving, saying that as it is the number of doctors in the country is too low to handle the 50 million Kenyans.

According to the Tharaka Nithi Governor, the number of doctors in the country is low and the situation is made worse by doctors who leave the country in pursuit of greener pastures abroad.

CoG data reveals that 362 doctors are away on study leave while 135 have completed their scholarships and are expected to be back in the counties.

However, there are fears some may not go back to their stations in counties as they either seek transfers or go into private practice. A further 229 doctors are still out on postgraduate training.

The CoG now says there are only 14 doctors for every 10,000 Kenyans.

“14 for every 10,000...so even when we talk about exporting health workers, we are giving away the creme de la creme and our people are left to be treated by lower cader...I don’t want to say quacks...we should retain the best and send the surplus,” Governor Njuki said.

Speaking at a conference dubbed 'Developing A Healthcare Workforce For Africa,' Njuki noted that Kenya is at a loss as taxpayers’ money spent training medics is lost as the doctors leave the country.

“We spend as African countries to train our health workers but we send them for free to the West at the ignorance of assuming that they need jobs as they are jobless yet our health facilities do not have enough doctors,” he said.

However, a paradox exists in the country. Despite sending nurses abroad, the country is unable to employ the huge number of nurses who are completing college every year as the much-needed funds are paid to doctors who are not provided the much-needed services.

“While we are complaining we have brain doctors and nurses going to the West, we as government are not able to employ them for lack of funds, I advertised for 30 positions and 600 applied,” he said.

The Ministry of Health however refuted claims of a brain drain saying the country trains enough medics for the nation and sends them abroad.

“We are training for the Kenyan market and foreign markets, we do not want to over train who cannot be absorbed,” health ministry official Dr. Bartilol Kigen stated.

Stakeholders at the conference also recommended a special incentive to encourage more medics to serve in rural facilities.

“The training and skilling of all African healthcare should be connected to the experience and employment,” said Prof. Karuti Kanyinga, the Director of IDIS at UoN.

Vice President for Kings College in London Prof. Funmi Olonisakin added: “I think when we train doctors a majority become urban doctors and we have a challenge of telling them go to the rural areas."