Court Clears the Way for Cuban Doctors to Work in Kenyan Hospitals

The court has dismissed the case challenging the importation of 100 Cuban doctors to Kenya.

Justice Onesmus Makau on Tuesday ruled that the petitioners failed to provide enough evidence to prove that the Kenyan government breached the law in hiring the medical specialists.

“The petitioners have not proved that the doctors rights and the rights of other specialized doctors were infringed by the decision to import the Cuban doctors,” the judge ruled.

The Employment and Labour Relations Court however said the government erred in law by failing to invite Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Union (KMPDU) to give its views before recruiting the Cuban medics.

The ruling clears the way for the specialists from the Caribbean nation to begin work in various medical facilities across the country.

The doctors arrived in Kenya on June 6th and are undergoing a one-month induction at the Government School of Science before being deployed to the counties.

The 100 specialists include three radiologists, 5 nephrologists, orthopaedic surgeons, plastic surgeons and neurologists.

Their salaries will be based on the civil service Job group S under the Government pay structure set by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC).