Nurses' union, governors clash over plan to send healthcare workers abroad
National Nurses Association of Kenya President Collins Ajwang’ addresses participants during a conference at Bamburi Beach Hotel in Mombasa in early October 2022.
What you need to know:
- Governors oppose move to send nurses abroad, citing a shortage in the country.
- The National Nurses Association of Kenya says the shortages are artificial since the county governments have failed to employ nurses.
- Nnak accuses counties of coming up with non-competitive employment terms which are unattractive and cannot retain qualified healthcare workers.
The umbrella union of nurses has differed with governors over the national government’s plan to send healthcare workers abroad.
Governors oppose the move, citing a shortage in the country. On the other hand, the National Nurses Association of Kenya (Nnak) said the shortages are artificial since the county governments have failed to employ nurses.
The development comes after the Council of Governors Health Committee chairperson Governor Muthomi Njuki last week faulted the national government for exporting medics yet there is a big shortage of health workers in the country.
The Tharaka-Nithi governor said the public health sector is on the brink of a crisis.
However, Nnak national chairperson Collins Ajwang’ has hit back at governors over their opposition to medics being sent abroad. He said they do not agree with the governors’ position that taking nurses abroad is creating a negative impact on healthcare system.
He accused the council of causing a shortage of nurses because they have ignored calls to employ more in the counties.
“We support the national government’s move to sign more bilateral agreements with other countries to provide employment opportunities for Kenyan nurses. Counties are the cause of the biting shortage of nursess,” said Mr Ajwang’ yesterday.
“Health is a devolved function and therefore it is the mandate of the county governments to employ health personnel, including nurses. How do you expect quality healthcare if one nurse is taking care of 40 patients?” He asked.
Mr Ajwang’ said in Kenya there are eight nurses per a population of 10,000 patients compared to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommended ratio of 25 nurses to 10,000 people.
The Nnak boss accused the counties of coming up with non-competitive employment terms which are unattractive and cannot retain qualified healthcare workers.
He said the poor employment terms, lack of incentives, freezing career progression of nurses and failure to provide resources, equipment and an enabling environment for nursing practice as some of the challenges making nurses to prefer working abroad.
Other reasons, said Mr Ajwang’, include delayed promotions, salaries and erratic payment of statutory deductions.
“How do you expect to retain nurses working on daily wages or on locum terms where they are paid peanuts like Sh25,000 a month? This is why it is difficult to have nurses working in a permanent engagement with the counties. We prefer that they engage the nurses on permanent and pensionable terms which is more attractive and rewarding,” he said.
Last month, the government announced plans to send more than 2,500 nurses to Saudi Arabia.
In August last year, Kenya sent 76 nurses to the United Kingdom as part of a bilateral agreement on health partnership between the two countries.
The agreement was to see Kenya send 20,000 nurses to UK hospitals in a bid to improve the welfare of its migrant workers overseas. The first batch of 19 nurses left for the UK in 2022.
Mr Ajwang’ argued that Kenyan nurses are the most sought after because of the high quality training, discipline and competence.
He said that nurses and midwives are in support of the government plan to send them abroad.
“We want to assure the government that we shall continue to support and work closely with its departments in sending nurses to work abroad,” the official said.
To reverse the trend, Mr Ajwang’ advised counties to change their view and perception of healthcare as an investment rather than a liability expenditure.
“Stop engaging nurses and midwives on non-professional employment terms as it is illegal, disrespectful and unsustainable,” he said.
