5,000 Graduates Trained By Amref Move Abroad For Better Paying Jobs

By Elizabeth Benu,

Would you take up a better paying job opportunity overseas while your country still suffers from lack of enough professionals?

At least 5,000 health workers have been trained this year alone by the African Medical and Research Foundation (Amref) but many of them have ended up moving abroad instead of serving Kenyans.

“Amref Health Africa Director General Teguest Guerma said while there are critical human resources for health shortages in Kenya and Africa, hundreds of trained health professionals remain unemployed because governments cannot afford to hire them,” read The Standard.

“The result is that many of our nurses and doctors are working in developed countries, yet we have serious shortages of this precious resource in our countries,” she spoke during Amref’s graduation ceremony held on Tuesday.

A total of 227 students graduated during the event, including 95 nurses who had been upgraded from certificate to diploma level through eLearning, 23 diploma in community health students and 16 diploma in reproductive health students

That said, do you think job seekers in the medical field are justified in doing this?

“Of course they are. Why would I suffer while earning peanuts or risk going for strikes yet a better paying job awaits me elsewhere? It’s all about the money in these harsh economic times,” says Sydney Mambo, a final year medical student in a local university.

He further suggests that, “If the government had placed the right measures by allocating at least 15 per cent of national budgets to health, none of this would be happening. Every citizen would get the best healthcare.”

Mary Kemunto* a business woman in the CBD supports the job seekers but adds that, “No matter how poor the pay is I believe we can all get a way and work in this country. How many private hospitals are currently sprouting up? Instead of waiting for the government, I would advocate for self employment.”

Irene Njambi works as a Nurse in a District hospital in one of the counties. She says that she would gladly leave if an opportunity presented itself.

“Being a nurse for me has been hectic. Poor pay yet you are expected to provide exceptional service to patients. During my free time all I do is look out for other opportunities which will see my skills being appreciated in monetary manner,” Ms. Njoki says.

Charles Muturi, an IT Specialist at a Telecommunication firm, says that, “A large number of the medical practitioners have families to feed. They cannot all fit to be Neurosurgeons so I support their move to look for greener pastures elsewhere.”

What’s your take? Would you do the same if you were a medic?

For any career related queries contact elizabeth@www.careerpointkenya.co.ke

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