Kenyan Doctors and their Quitting Ways

 When 16 doctors up and leave a hospital at once, it gets people asking: "What is wrong with the Kenyan health industry?" That was exactly the case at Meru Hospital when the doctors quit their jobs. A report by NTV reveals that most Kenyan doctors leave the public health sector in less than three months and site poor pay as the major reason. Others complain of unfavorable working conditions and prefer more lucrative jobs associated with accountancy, travel and so forth.

It is indeed recently that The Health Guardian looked at the milestones of the Kenyan health sector in celebrating the country when it hit 50. Kenya records the highest emigration rates as standing at 51% worldwide. Currently the country is home to 4500 doctors, 37,000 nurses and 5000 health facilities that keep the health care system up and running. Kenya suffers from an acute shortage of health personnel with an imbalanced rate of 1 doctor per every 10,000 people.

The recent devolution wrangles have also been impairing the sanity of the health sector with health workers threatening to quit if it medical services cease to remain a central government affair.  What will really make and keep doctors "happy"? Bigger salaries, better working conditions or we all need a sit down with them to really get what they want.

Every career has its ups and downs and indeed medicine is one among the many professions that are considered prestigious and accord a high degree of social status. Most of us while growing up were encouraged to be lawyers, engineers, architectures, the next CEOs, doctors even. So, why are doctors on the run?

In light of strikes when doctors are on a go slow or opt not to show up for work at all until their demands are met, where does the "Do no harm rule" go to? I am a full supporter of better health care services and indeed favorable working conditions, but aren't we all just hanging by a thread. Imagine a scenario where journalists say they cannot be effective reporters until they are assured of their safety then would we be home to CNN award winning journalists like John Allan Namu and Mohammed Ali? Chefs around the country say they can no longer stand the heat in the kitchen, what then becomes of our hotel industry. When public relations practitioners say reputations are just a mirage and it really doesn’t really matter how society views an organization and out goes the saintly purpose of Corporate Social Responsibility. When Siyokimau demolitions shake architects to the core and they run to other careers for fear of public scrutiny and the agony of watching their works of art go down in shambles.

The underlying issue here is that every sector in the country could probably do better if a few things were changed. Indeed in the era of human rights we all call for decent jobs, a sensible livelihood and just that "extra coin". What do you think doctors really need?