Tanzania to employ doctors it was sending to Kenya

The government of Tanzania will now hire 258 of the 500 doctors who had been offered employment in Kenya.

According to the Tanzanian Ministry of Health, by March 27, 2017, they had received 496 applications from doctors in Tanzania, 258 of whom had met the requirements for recruitment in Kenya.

According to Tanzania’s Minister for Health, Ummy Mwalimu, the doctors were expected to be in Kenya between April 6 – 10, 2017 but the timeline has since lapsed.

This follows a High Court order that granted doctors stay orders against the government’s decision to import foreign doctors.

“Given the fact that up to now the government of Kenya has not had a resolution on the case filed against the recruitment of doctors from Tanzania, President John Magufuli has resolved that the 258 doctors be employed in Tanzania with immediate effect,” said Mwalimu.

“Our government will, however, be ready to receive a new request from Kenya once its clear and no blocking factors to stop them from going to Kenya.”

In March, the Kenyan government struck a deal to import 500 doctors from Tanzania in what the Ministry of Health termed as a move to curb the staffing crisis in Kenyan hospitals following the 100 days doctors’ strike.

Speaking during a meeting with Health Cabinet Secretary, Dr Cleopa Mailu, at State House, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, President Magufuli said that the medics being sent to Kenya are those who are currently not in government employment and are willing to work in the country.

Magufuli further intimated that the move was also advised by Kenya’s promise of competitive remuneration for the Tanzanian doctors.

On his part, CS Mailu thanked Magufuli for accepting Kenya’s request saying Kenyan doctors had indicated local public hospitals were understaffed hence the reason for approaching Tanzania.