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A recent on-site inspection at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), the country's largest referral hospital, uncovered an unimaginable physician-patient ratio deficit
A The optimal staffing ratio in the clinical areas shows that out of the 121 specialization units, only 13 meet the required staff to provide the services effectively .
According to the badysis of People Daily the hospital lacks 141 nurses to meet the requirement of 188. This means that the 47 who work in the l 39; unit are overwhelmed beyond their capacity.
He attributes the shortage of staff to the increased trafficking of patients from other parts of the country and region, emerging disease patterns and expanded services.
To ensure efficient service delivery, the hospital needs 2.5 billion shillings for additional staffing needs, according to the badysis. 59002] Another concern at KNH is the lack of an elaborate succession plan for aging specialists
An interview with some specialists revealed that little new blood is injected into the system.
Climate Change
"We have no plan to train and recruit new specialists," said Peter Masinde, director of KNH's clinical services, adding that the situation is the same in all hospitals in the country.
He said that health facilities are facing new challenges that require specialists.
Masinde says that the country, for example, needs more pediatrics because more children are experiencing the effects of climate change such as the extreme cold that causes pneumonia and other complications.
"The doctor-to-patient ratio remains very low, we are the most affected in the field of specialist physicians, namely general gynecologists, obstetricians, doctors, surgeons and pediatricians," he said.
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"It is even disturbing to note that outside of Nairobi, there is no specialized oncologist for women," he said.
Complex Challenges
Despite cases of depression, Masinde says that Kenya has very few general specialists or medical neurologists. They are no more than five, three at KNH, two at the University of Nairobi and one at Moi University.
"We have three in private practice, we need to train and hire more mental health specialists because of the increase in cases," he said.
Despite the increase in cardiovascular problems, KNH only has three specialists in the chest
Mark Mudenyo KNH, said with the emergence of new complex challenges, it is necessary to hire more specialists.
According to Masinde, the solution to the shortage of specialists lies in more doctors specialized in at least one or two fields.
"All doctors in Kenya should specialize in at least one or two areas – be it in the administration or in a clinical field – to bridge the gap." It is there that progressive countries like Cuba go towards, "he added.
The three physicians we spoke to also raised concerns about the brain drain in the medical field. "We have already lost 40 doctors in the UK out of the 700 new graduates this year, in addition to the 2,200 former doctors who have left in the last three years," said Dr. Ouma Oluga. the Secretary-General of Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union.
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