79 Cuban doctors to be deployed to county hospitals

Kenya has received 79 more Cuban doctors who will be deployed to county hospitals on October 25.

As part of implementation of an agreement signed with Cuba in 2017, the first batch of Cuban doctors arrived in the country in 2018. 

Council of Governors Chairman Martin Wambora said, “The Cuban specialists have completed the induction at the Kenya School of Government and will be deployed in due course. In order to meet the demands more specialists will be sourced from Cuba and will arrive in the country in due course.” 

Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe and his Cuban counterpart Dr. Jose Angel Portal Miranda signed an agreement on the doctors exchange programme between Cuba and Kenya.

The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) claimed the Cuban doctors were employed at the expense of experienced doctors in the country. However, the governors have denied such claims. 

According to Narok Governor Samuel Ole Tunai, the health specialties from Cuba cannot be sourced in the country as the union claims.

Demanding employment of 1,000 jobless Kenyan doctors, as well as ramping up counties’ medical workforce, KMPDU had accused the government of prioritizing foreign medics wile bypassing Kenyan medics. 

Tunai clarified, “As county governments we have employed doctors who are qualified in the country. Even at times we lack certain specialties forcing us to outsource from the neighbouring counteies. As a country it’s important for us to have exchange programs because even our own nurses have benefited from Kenya-UK exchange program.”