Deputy Director of Medical Services Dr. Annah Wamae, said it is time Kenyan doctors and medical specialists advertised their services to curb the tendencies of Kenyans to seek treatment in South Africa and India, among other countries.
She said the Kenyan Medical and Dentists Practitioners Board had relaxed rules that barred doctors from advertising their services, and the medical fraternity can now advertise as long as they stick to professional ethics.
Dr Wamae was speaking at the opening of the Africa Inland Church (AIC) Kijabe Hospital Nairobi branch in Nairobi.
In Kenya, the latest statistics show that 40 percent of medical institutions are operated by faith-based organizations.
World Health Organization statistics released in 2014 show that there are about 0.1 doctors per every 1,000 people in Kenya.
Relatively low pay is one of the key reasons Kenyan doctors leave public sector employment in search of better paying opportunities abroad. The Government finds it hard retaining the services of these highly-trained professionals.
Others believe that it’s cheaper to seek treatment abroad. But Dr. Wamae, says Kenyans seek treatment outside the country out of ignorance, in most cases not knowing that they can be treated locally.
Source PANA
