29 May 2011
Nairobi — Hospitals in Coast Province are short of 1,883 staff.
Regional Medical Services director Maurice Siminyu said the 23 hospitals had a shortage of 55 medical officers, 17 dentists, 29 specialists and 773 nurses, among others.
Dr Siminyu said the hospitals had only 60 medical officers, 15 dentists, 43 specialists and 1,172 nurses.
He attributed the shortage partly to resignations as medical officers and nurses opted for greener pastures.
The official said about 50 per cent of medical officers who complete their internship quit for the private sector for better pay.
“A huge number of medical officers quit their jobs because of being overworked in the public hospitals and poor salaries,” he said.
“The shortage of medical workers has compromised the service rendered to the public as officers work for very long hours.”
Only one doctor
Some hospitals in the region, he said, had only one doctor, making it difficult for the medical officers to attend to huge numbers of patients.
In Western Province, patients seeking specialised medical attention are often referred to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret due to a shortage of consultant doctors.
Hospitals in the region need 4,500 nurses. Currently, there are only 2,200 struggling to deliver services at the facilities.
The provincial director of Medical Services, Dr Godwick Onyango, said district hospitals were hit hard by the shortage of doctors and nurses.
AllAfrica – All the Time
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Coast Region Needs 1,883 Health Staff