Kenya Turns To Cuba For Medical Exchange Program
The contract to bring 100 specialized medical doctors to Kenya has been signed by the Cabinet Secretary for Health Sicily Kariuki. Consequently, the Cuban Government has officially released the doctors to travel to Kenya for deployment to various parts of the country, she said. Kariuki, who signed the contract on her current trip to Havana, Cuba, said 50 Kenyan doctors will travel to Cuba. Consequently, in the medical exchange program, they will receive specialized training, which will mostly be on family medicine.
President Uhuru Kenyatta sanctioned the bilateral agreement. This allows Cuban specialist doctors to work in Kenya during a recent visit to Cuba. Kariuki said the deployment of the doctors to rural areas will help improve access to specialist medical services. And also reduce the dependence on a few referral hospitals which causes congestion.
The CS said the deployment of the Cuban doctors will also provide knowledge transfer to doctors at the rural level. And additionally, challenge Kenyan medical specialists to consider offering their services at the county level rather than concentrating in the big cities.
