Magufuli orders recruitment of 258 doctors intended for Kenya hospitals

What you need to know:

  • This has been said today by the minister for Health, Ms Ummy Mwalimu who noted that the decision has been reached after Kenyan government, which asked for the doctors, failed to reach an agreement which would have allowed the |Tanzanians to work in the neighbouring country amicably.

Dar es Salaam. President John Magufuli has made a turnaround. He has directed that all 258 doctors who have qualified for employment in Kenya to be employed locally.

This has been said today by the minister for Health, Ms Ummy Mwalimu who noted that the decision has been reached after Kenyan government, which asked for the doctors, failed to reach an agreement which would have allowed the |Tanzanians to work in the neighbouring country amicably.

The court in Kenya has put an injunction barring the government from recruiting doctors from Tanzania.

About 500 doctors had shown interest to go and work in neighbouring Kenya after Kenyan government formally asked Tanzania for the health specialists, as stopgap measure to deal with striking doctors.

Activities in most of major public health facilities have been paralysed following strike by doctors which has persisted for about four months now.

“President Magufuli has decided that all 258 doctors who were waiting to go to Kenya should be employed locally. Following the decision we will, in the due course, publish in the ministry website, names of the doctors and areas where they have been posted,” she said.