Kenya will not be renewing the agreement with Cuban doctors, Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha has announced.
She acknowledged that even though health workers in the country are facing major challenges in the execution of their mandates at both national and county levels, they continue dedicating themselves to the service of Kenyans.
Nakhumicha made the announcement on Wednesday during the official opening of the Pre-National Human Resources for Health Dialogue at the Windsor Golf Hotel in Nairobi.
She noted that various measures have been put in place to ensure the challenges affecting the health workforce in the country are addressed.
“I have no doubt that we are going to have a very motivated workforce that is well taken care of,” Nakhumicha said.
“On that note, I am pleased to announce that we shall not be renewing the agreement for the Cuban doctors because I want to believe that our very own are going to be committed to the course.”
She said the challenges affecting health workers are diverse, ranging from training and development, staff welfare and progression, performance management and motivation, health worker safety and welfare, and staff mobility, including transfer across counties and levels of government.
She noted that through collective effort and constant dialogue, solutions to the challenges will be found.
The Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists and Dentists’ Union had demanded for non-renewal of contracts between Kenya and Cuba once the contract lapsed in June this year.
Kenya signed a health agreement with Cuba in 2017 that actualized an exchange programme where Cuban doctors would come into the country to help fill the gap in county hospitals while Kenyan doctors were sent to Cuba for specialized training.
The agreement saw the first batch of 53 family doctors and 47 specialists arrive in the country before an additional 20 specialists arrived in July 2020 to help in the fight against COVID-19.
The dialogue brings together various stakeholders in the health sector including the ministry, the Council of Governors, the World Health Organisation, trade unions and professional associations among others.
“Over the next two days, we will hear from our health workers, those who train and manage them, and those who provide policy direction on matters related to human resources,” she said.
