Kenya short of 66,000 health staff

Kenya is short of 66,000 health workers, according to chief nursing officer Chris Rakuom.

“Our public and private hospitals and dispensaries are understaffed by up to 66,000 health workers and the government should try and employ more health workers because there are many of them out there who need jobs,” said Mr Rakuom.

He added: “The private and public health provision sector in Kenya has a demand of 96,000 health workers, yet we only have 30,000.”

The shortage of medical personnel in public hospitals is not limited to Kenya alone.

Mr Rakuom said the crisis is a global one, adding that the Sub-Saharan region alone has a shortage of more than 800,000 health workers, who include nurses, doctors and midwives.

“Nurses and other health workers tend to move a lot currently because there is a high demand both regionally and internationally.

“They tend to look for better working conditions, better living and better pay in developed countries,” Mr Rakuom said.

He said although health workers trained in Kenya are considered more competitive than those from other countries, there was need for them to abide by the World Health Organisation’s global code of practice on international recruitment of health personnel, which was adopted last year.

The 63rd World Health Assembly unanimously adopted the code, which provides ethical principles that are geared towards strengthening health systems of developing countries.

Nations worldwide acknowledged the global complexities of the health workforce crisis.

The code recommends that states should strive to meet their domestic needs for health services with their own human resource through planning, education and training.

The code also urges states to protect the rights of migrant health workers through fair labour practices and without discrimination.

WHO is currently working on the guidelines to be used by member states based on the code.

Mr Rakuom said despite the Kenyan health sector having improved in terms of working conditions, equipment, training and availability of facilities since 2002, health workers still migrate because the cost of living in the country is still high.

Since the population has been increasing, the country needs more health workers.

According to Mr Rakuom, there should be at least 200 nurses per every 100,000 people in order to meet the health needs of the Kenyan population.

It is estimated that the country produces 2,000 trained health workers annually, but the number of those who are employed is still low.