Kenya Government Suspends Deal to Swap Doctors with Cuba

Kenya’s government recently made a decision not to extend a six-year agreement that involved employing Cuban doctors in Kenya while sending Kenyan doctors to Cuba for specialized training.

This program faced opposition from Kenya’s main doctors union because the Cuban doctors were receiving more than double the average salary of their Kenyan counterparts.

Critics argued that the funds could have been better utilized to improve Kenya’s medical infrastructure and support local doctors. During a meeting with health industry workers in Nairobi, Health Minister Nakumicha Wafula announced the termination of the Cuba deal.

The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists, and Dentists Union criticized this action, stating that it wasted resources that could have been used to hire Kenyan doctors or purchase medical equipment for local hospitals.