KMPDU;North Rift counties facing an acute shortage of doctors!

The Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Union (KMPDU) has expressed concerns over an acute shortage of doctors in the North Rift counties.

In an interview with Hubzmedia, Dr Darwin Ambuka the Chair of the KMPDU in the North Rift region says counties have been starved of doctors forcing one doctor to serve close to 20,000 patients against the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation of 1:1,000 patients.

“We are perturbed by the failure of Counties in the North rift region to employ enough doctors and specialists, the few doctors available have been overstretched and many are working in deplorable situations forcing patients to congest at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital”,Said Dr. Ambuka.

We regret the poor management  of the health sector by the various counties, many of  our  doctors  have not been promoted for  ten years ,Counties cannot  attract qualified  human resource in the health sector if  the working conditions will not be improved ,Many Kenyans  depend  on the public health facilities and therefore  counties must improve  the  welfare of  doctors. Added Dr Ambuka.

Close to 5,000 doctors have not been employed Countrywide.

“The ministry of Health is not employing them despite the fact that there are so many doctors who are qualified and they are waiting for employment opportunities across all the counties.” Added Dr. Darwin Ambuka.

By Mercy Too.

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Eldoret Media Hub, a working space for journalists based in Uasin Gishu County set up by the Uasin Gishu Journalists Association (UGJA) through a Media Council of Kenya (MCK) grant.
The facility was officially opened in August 2021 by the MCK Chief Executive Officer David Omwoyo.

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