Kenya has announced the termination of a six-year agreement that allowed over 100 Cuban doctors to work in Kenyan hospitals. Health Minister Susan Nakhumicha revealed on Wednesday that this decision aims to address the challenges faced by Kenyan health workers, including a lack of employment opportunities.
“We have made the decision not to renew the agreement with the Cuban doctors. Our own healthcare professionals are dedicated to this cause,” she stated.
The 2017 deal had established an exchange program where Cuban doctors would assist in filling the personnel gap in county hospitals, while Kenyan doctors would undergo specialized medical training in Cuba. However, this program received criticism from Kenyan medical professionals who argued that local doctors possessed equivalent training to their Cuban counterparts.
Furthermore, concerns were raised about the Kenyan government paying the Cuban doctors significantly higher salaries than their Kenyan counterparts, despite the existence of unemployed locally trained doctors.
In Kenya, doctors and other healthcare workers frequently go on strike to demand better wages, improved working conditions, and an increase in the number of employed doctors.
By BBC correspondent Jide Johnson.
