Regulate number of nurses seeking jobs abroad, government urged

The healthcare sector in Kenya is facing a growing concern as a significant number of nurses seek job opportunities overseas, leaving a potential gap in the local healthcare workforce.

This was raised during a recent two-day international nurse’s conference held in Avenue Hospital Parklands to celebrate the nurses and articulate the issues that they face in their line of duty.

The conference served as a platform to celebrate the contributions of nurses to the healthcare system and address critical issues affecting the profession.

Discussions focused on the importance of ensuring the safety of nurses, investing in the nursing workforce, and creating job opportunities in nursing to alleviate poverty and promote gender equality.

Speaking during the conference, Chief Nursing Officer of Avenue Healthcare Penina Kirea expressed concern over the growing trend of nurses leaving the country in search of better opportunities abroad.

Kirea urged the government to intervene and offer incentives that would make them work in the country.

She highlighted the critical role nurses play in the healthcare sector noting that failure to intervene might plunge the country's medical sector into a crisis.

According to Kirea, the migration of nurses to Western countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom is driven by factors such as perceived lack of appreciation and inadequate remuneration in Kenya.

She noted that this trend poses a significant threat to the healthcare system, as it may lead to a shortage of skilled and experienced nurses within the country.

“We must motivate our health professionals to make them work in the country whereby we can issue them with incentives such as professional development programs, sponsorships for specialized training, and efforts to ensure job satisfaction and well-being among nurses,” she said.

On February 9, this year, the Council of Governors criticized the government’s plan to send trained nurses abroad.

The Council noted that the government is pushing for the agenda yet there is a need for health workers in the nation.

The Council noted that the government is pushing for the agenda yet there is a need for health workers in the nation.

“We spend a lot of money in training our health workers and we are giving them in the Western world with the ignorance of assuming they need jobs because they are jobless and yet our facilities have a shortage,” CoG Health committee chair Muthomi Njuki said.

Senators had earlier launched an inquiry to establish how the health sector has been impacted by an increase in the number of nurses seeking jobs abroad.