Kenya: Matiang’i signs Sh3 billion deal to train medics

Posted on :Wednesday , 3rd August 2016

The state and the French government have agreed on a Sh3 billion funding project to train medics in local private and public universities, Education CS Fred Matiang’i (pictured) said yesterday.

“I encourage scholars and researchers, regardless of whether their institutions are public or private, to submit proposals for this cheap funding that has come with low interest rates,” he said.

Matiang’i said the project is aimed at increasing the number and competency of health workers.

Kenya is graduating around 600 doctors a year, but the majority of them are migrating to the US, UK and South Africa for greener pastures, he said.

The brain drain of trained health workers from poorer countries to richer ones exacerbates the problem of already weak health systems battling epidemics of HIV-Aids, TB and malaria, the CS said.

Matiang’i said there are also plans to disburse Helb loans, depending on the course of study.

He spoke at Laico Regency during the sixth Medical Education Partnership Initiative.

The CS said MEPI has contributed towards improving the quality of medical education and learning facilities, curriculum reforms, e-learning and faculty retention.

“There is a strong causal relationship between education and development. The two comprise key indicators of development,” Matiang’i said.

“This causal relation between education and health arises because a higher education leads to a healthier lifestyle and because higher educated people are able to gather, process and interpret information about healthy behaviour.”

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