50 Kenyan medical practitioners have left the country for Cuba, where they are set to receive specialized training.
The medics will join Latin American School of Medicine (ELAM), one of the most prestigious medical institutions in the world.
Their training is part of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between President Kenyatta and his Cuban counterpart Raul Castro in March this year. The agreement also saw Kenya import 100 Cuban doctors to work in the country for a period of two years.
ELAM is a government-owned institution located in Havana and is said to be world’s largest medical school with close to 20,000 students from 110 countries.
“Our focus is to build a strong healthcare system that meets the current challenges,” said Director of Medical Services Jack Kioko in announcing the move.
“We need to have doctors who will drive the primary healthcare, which is the central pillar in driving the Big Four Agenda. Once we have Kenyans who have trained in family medicine to address issues in disease prevention, community education empowerment, and health promotion, it will become easy,” he said.
“The 50 will come back and take over from what Cubans are doing. Remember we brought a lot of family physicians,” he added.
The medics will be welcomed in Havana by the Kenya’s envoy in Cuba Anthony Muchiri. 100 doctors from Cuba the South American nation arrived in Kenya in July to take up specialized roles in local medical facilities across the 47 counties.
Their presence is part of President Uhuru’s bid to achieve universal healthcare, one of his big four agendas for the country.
1. Do these Kenyan doctors…
1. Do these Kenyan doctors speak Spanish?
FYI: A regular doctor is a PHYSICIAN!!!!!
This is Nonesense.
This Cuban exchange program was just Another Bad idea.
Kenya hospitals needs bed, medicine and more doctors from Nairobi university not Cuban.
This is Nonesense!!!
O.M.G!!!!
Do you have better solutions…
Do you have better solutions? You think the 100 in Kenya are speaking Spanish to Kenyan patients?
It’s COMPLICATED. Buts let’s…
It’s COMPLICATED. Buts let’s hope it’s not just another Swag, Gimmick, or Cash Cow for the Corrupt inflating Expenses incurred.
Cuban doctors exchange…
Cuban doctors exchange program a bad idea and waste of money.
As for me whatever saves…
As for me whatever saves Kenyan lives is welcome, be it specialized training,or buiLding hospitals.but babies stuffed in plastic garbage bags is a NO NO.
All lives matter,whether you are poor,or rich.So we should try to save human lives at any cost .Therefore, doctors, nurses,and hospital administration should sit down,and tell the government what the priority should be. I am sure such matters are dealt with by the department ,and ministry of health,but when you hear that patient are sharing beds,and some wheeled to hospital in wheel barrow, lack of medicine,one wonders if all lives matter…or if we have incompetent people running the health department.
However, I wonder why 50 Kenyans should go there,when you can bring 20 experts to uses our patients,and our equipments to educate the Kenyans…That makes sense to me.
And for those who are stuck on language as a barrier, remember these are not missionaries stepping in africa and meeting the natives for the first time,with rudimentary technology,and communication skill.
I say take 100 Kenyan…
I say take 100 Kenyan doctors to Cuba if you want the takeover to be smooth….if we have 100 Cuban doctors in Kenya now, si we train the same number of our own ndo maneno ya “hakuna daktari” iishe mara hio?
I hope the selection was…
I hope the selection was open and transparent not only the well connected and close to power got a free Medical school tuition just to go back and open private clinics in Karen and Rhunda while Turkana people and the likes dont see any benefit although there tax money was utilized to educate them. I also hope they have been mandated to serve atleast 5 years in marginalized places like Garissa and sipili