Gov’t defends move to send nurses abroad
The Ministry of Health has justified the Government’s decision to dispatch more than 2,500 trained nurses overseas, arguing that there is a surplus of medical professionals domestically to handle healthcare issues.
In defense of this action, Mary Muthoni, the Public Health Principal Secretary, emphasized that the nation consistently produces a sufficient number of healthcare workers annually to satisfy the growing demand in the market.
Addressing concerns raised by Muthomi Njuki, Chairperson of the Council of Governors (COG) Health Committee, regarding potential repercussions on the country’s health sector resulting in staffing shortages in hospitals, the PS played down the worries.
She highlighted that last year, the Kenya Medical and Training College (KMTC) graduated over 22,000 medical personnel, a figure significantly exceeding the country’s requirements.
“We have thousands of trained nurses who are unemployed in the country and we should not deny them a chance to work abroad,” she said.
Muthoni attributed the deadlock to a lack of information, stating that the ministry would furnish the Council of Governors with up-to-date data.
The PS made these remarks during a press briefing at Lake Naivasha Resort following a meeting with stakeholders engaged in the formulation of the Quality Health Bill of 2024.
She indicated that the bill would assess the present state of healthcare in the nation, emphasizing infrastructure, operational procedures, and human resources.
She further mentioned that the bill, slated for enactment within three months, would entail the inspection of all public health centers to evaluate their current condition.
“We have done a survey on the status of public health and we are now targeting the qualitative issues so that we can be in line with the Social Health Act,” she said.
Muthoni acknowledged that the healthcare system in the country faced challenges such as deteriorating infrastructure and experts working in inappropriate departments, highlighting that these issues would be tackled through the bill.
“We are working with development partners and stakeholders in formulating this bill which will be a game-changer in the health sector,” she said.
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Gov’t defends move to send nurses abroad
