Exodus of workers cripples Kenyan hospitals

Operations in public hospitals might be grounded by an acute shortage of key staffA Nation survey found the institutions lack adequate numbers of medical officers, dentists, nurses, midwives and other specialists, raising questions about the provision of effective and efficient healthcare services.Matters have been complicated by an exodus of doctors and nurses for greener pastures abroad. For example, Coast province has a shortage of 1,883 staff. The region’s director of medical services, Dr Maurice Siminyu, said the 23 hospitals in the area were short of 55 medical officers, 17 dentists, 29 specialists and 773 nurses.Dr Siminyu said the hospitals had only 60 medical officers, 15 dentists, 43 specialists and 1,172 nurses.The country, according to the head of the National Nurses Association of Kenya, Mr Luke Kodambo, has a shortage of 6,000 nurses.The World Health Organisation recommends a nurse-patient ratio of 200:100,000. Kenya’s ratio stands at 50:100,000..What next..???