50 Kenyan doctors to go to Cuba for studies
Health Principal Secretary Peter Tum. The PS has quelled counties' fears about a World Bank grant. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Health PS Peter Tum reiterates government’s commitment to make health care accessible to all Kenyans, adding that this was the reason behind the importation of 100 doctors from Cuba.
He said the training curriculum of Kenya Medical Training Colleges students would be expanded to include programmes and studies used in Cuba.
The PS stated said Kenya is committed to achieve universal health care in four years.
The government will send 50 local doctors to Cuba to study how the country has managed to make great strides in health care, Health Principal Secretary Peter Tum has said.
Dr Tum said the exchange programme would ensure Kenyan doctors, both in public and private hospitals, provide quality services. He reiterated the government’s commitment to make health care accessible to all Kenyans, adding that this was the reason behind the importation of 100 doctors from Cuba.
He said most of the Cuban doctors would be posted to counties in rural areas that are grappling with a serious shortage of doctors.
QUALITY SERVICES
He said that in Cuba, most doctors provide services 24 hours a day, adding that many governments in developing countries are seeking support from the country because of its superlative health care.
“Cuba is respected by governments all over the world for provision of quality health services,” said Dr Tum.
Speaking at Nandi County Referral Hospital on Friday, the PS — who was accompanied by Nandi County Governor Stephen Sang, County Senator Samson Cherargey and County Health Minister Ruth Koech — stated said Kenya is committed to achieve universal health care in four years.
HANDLE MACHINES
He said the training curriculum of Kenya Medical Training Colleges (KMTC) students would be expanded to include programmes and studies used in Cuba.
“This will help Kenya become one of the best countries in provision of health care in its 47 counties,” he said.
Dr Tum inspected health equipment that the national government installed in Nandi County at a cost of Sh1 billion and called for deployment of technical staff to handle the machines and serve the public.
Governor Sang said the county had purchased drugs worth Sh81 million which had been sent to all the 194 health centres, adding that any county staff found stealing drugs would be sacked.
He said the county was planning to roll out a universal health scheme in conjunction with the national government and NHIF.
