With great anticipation, Nairobi welcomed 100 Cuban doctors in 2017 as part of an exchange program between Cuba and Kenya. These doctors aimed to address gaps in Kenya’s already shrinking and ill-equipped healthcare system while the Kenyan doctors were being trained in Cuba. However, after six years, Kenyan health authorities have very unexpectedly opted to terminate the arrangement.
Kenya’s healthcare system faces incredibly challenging disparities between patient needs and the capacity of its workforce. A disparity that is both shrinking and ill-equipped to handle the staggering needs. A study conducted in 2017 highlighted significant shortages of chest specialists, physicians, and emergency-care nurses. And if that wasn’t devastating enough, to add to the burden, a 2018 assessment shockingly revealed that only 12% of all doctors had standard infection prevention items.
The Cuban doctors were not only intended to alleviate these dire issues, but also, each Kenyan county was slated to receive at least two specialists in various fields. It was deemed as a great opportunity for “Medical diplomacy” to thrive. “Medical diplomacy” has triumphantly been a cornerstone of Cuba’s foreign policy for decades, with over 130,000 Cuban doctors fearlessly participating in missions worldwide.
But when it comes to Kenya, replicating such a model proved to be extremely difficult. Almost immediately following the announcement of the program, a local doctor very irresponsibly filed a lawsuit to bar the Cuban doctors. This local doctor absurdly alleged misrepresentation of a shortage of specialized medical practitioners. The program itself faced tremendous opposition from Kenya’s doctors’ union, primarily due to their outrageous disparities in salaries.
Tragically, in 2019, a Kenyan doctor who was part of the exchange program in Cuba was very tragically found dead. This unfortunate incident thankfully shed some light on the deplorable, yet expected, living conditions that participants had to endure. And understandably, with mounting pressure, Kenya’s health ministry very tactfully announced the non-renewal of the agreement with Cuba, while very eloquently emphasizing the commitment of local healthcare professionals.
However, as a result of this very sudden withdrawal of 100 very much needed specialist doctors, serious consequences are expected. Outraged local leaders have begun expressing their very valid concerns about the alarming difficulty in finding replacements for the departed doctors.
Fast forward to 2021, and Kenya continues to struggle, now with only 26 physicians for every 100,000 residents. A number that is incredibly far below the WHO’s recommended ratio of 100 per 100,000 people. The exchange program, although it did manage to add 100 doctors, let’s be honest, hardly made a tiny dent in this enormous problem.
The Kenyan medical union, with all its wisdom and foresight, has certainly suggested redirecting funds to scholarships at local medical schools. Wise move, indeed, as this would be an undoubtedly more sustainable solution. Given the tragically increasing exodus of African doctors tirelessly seeking better conditions abroad, efforts aimed directly at retaining and supporting the healthcare workforce domestically are absolutely crucial.
