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Kenya: Taming medical brain drain by curbing emigration

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This article is part of the dossier:

Africa’s Medical Brain Drain

By Son Gatitu

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Posted on May 4, 2023 13:15

 © File photo of Kenyan student doctors walking towards the labour wards at the Kenyatta National Hospital. How many will leave for better jobs overseas? (REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya)
File photo of Kenyan student doctors walking towards the labour wards at the Kenyatta National Hospital. How many will leave for better jobs overseas? (REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya)

Kenya’s Ministry of Health is at an advanced stage of developing a migration policy for health professionals aimed at saving the national sector from brain drain and abusive contractual terms for emigrant Kenyan workers.

This is part 4 of a 6-part series

At a time when the Kenyan health sector has been dealing with a workforce shortage, as well as medical equipment and drug scarcity, those already skilled have had to contend with a deficient system.

Gertrude Orondo, 29, graduated in 2016 and started her one-year nursing internship in May 2017, but did not complete it until August 2018, due to all the medical worker strikes in Kenya.

But after successfully completing her government-paid internship, she couldn’t find work.

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