Health CS Kagwe and UK High Commissioner Marriot [Photo: MoH/Twitter]
The first batch of Kenyan nurses recruited to work in the UK will today depart the country as part of bilateral agreement between Kenya and the UK on recruitment of Health workforce.
Health Cabinet Secretary (CS) Mutahi Kagwe says 19 nurses have been recruited to the prestigious Oxford University Hospital.
13 of them are taking off today while the remaining 6 will depart in two weeks’ time after completion of the clearance process.
80 more qualified nurses are currently awaiting review and possible placement to other hospitals in the UK.
“Nurses are at the heart of the world’s current health priorities, from fighting non-communicable and infectious diseases, to addressing health emergencies and stemming pandemics,” observed Kagwe.
With Kenya having received a number of requests from different countries for Kenyan nurses, the health CS said the Ministry of Health will set up a taskforce to deal with all the international recruitment for health workforce in the country.
“We have currently received a number of requests from different countries for Kenyan nurses. This calls for a mechanism to manage the process as we also check and control shortage of specialized nurses and midwives in the country,” said Kagwe.
He then congratulated Mercy Wasike – a Kenyan nurse who has been appointed Deputy Chief Nurse in UK’s National Health Service, and urged those travelling to the UK to remain Kenya’s ambassadors.
According to Kagwe, the agreement between the Kenyan and UK governments allows for a smooth partnership in many other perspectives including education and continuous professional development.
British High Commissioner to Kenya Jane Marriot also expressed confidence in the partnership between Kenya and the UK.
“This marks the beginning of a new era of international recruitment of Kenyan nurses to the UK through a government-to-government arrangement,” said Marriot.
The agreement between Kenya and the UK on recruitment of Health workforce was signed by President Uhuru Kenyatta and the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson in January 2021.
A newsmaker, reporter and anchor at Pearl Radio, Ndalilah Sharon is witty and savvy.
She is also a firm believer of Christ.