Kenya’s Universal Health Coverage programme has received a shot in the arm after 48 Kenyan specialists graduated from advanced training in Cuba.
The 48 doctors were selected from counties and sent to Havana in September 2018.
The doctors went through two years of training in family medicine and 38 weeks of customised training to orient them to the Kenyan context.
The doctors will be deployed to their respective counties and will act as the first point of contact for all patients in an effort to prevent disease occurrence.
They will also be working in identifying risk factors with a special attention to biological, social, psychological and environmental factors.
With actions of health promotion, prevention, early diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation.
The specialists graduated on Wednesday in an event graced by Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe, Cuba ambassador to Kenya Juan Manuel Rodriguez.
Council of Governors chairperson Martin Wambora and CoG health committee chairperson Anyang Nyong’o among other health stakeholders.
“We looked to Cuba because they made significant gains in achieving UHC,” Kagwe said.
“We are looking to borrow from the medical administration course offered in Cuban universities which lays a lot of emphasis on primary healthcare, premised on prevention other than curative.
“We admire that physicians don’t just wait in facilities but visit households from where they encourage households to adopt healthy choices such as diet and hygiene.”
