Kenyan Nurses are Hotcake Oversees, CS Machogu tells KMTC students
Kenyan Nurses are Hotcake Oversees, CS Machogu tells KMTC students. According to CS, nursing is one of the most profitable courses in the world and gives nurses a competitive edge in the job market, from schools, hospitals, nursing homes and respect.
His comments came days after Kenya, among other countries, signed a bilateral agreement with the Alliance that will see Kenya export medical workers.
“I want more students to enroll in nursing. I have seen graduates with degrees who continue to study nursing and the result is one of the most prestigious jobs in Kenya or abroad,” said CS Machgu.
Kenya has so far signed deals to export nurses and midwives to Britain and Saudi Arabia, which the government says will fight unemployment and allow Kenyan workers to earn better wages and invest at home.
During his visit to the KMTC Teso campus in Kocholia, the CS asked the students to conduct research on health issues to address some of the major health issues affecting Kenyans.
“I want you to be part of solving the medical problems that many Kenyans are facing today. Kenya today we advocate prevention not cure, you must be the solution,” said CS Machgu.
“If you are good in nursing and other fields, there are good opportunities to work abroad. “The United States, England and other prominent countries want to hire Kenyan experts,” he said.
Nurses working abroad earn between Sh350,000 and Sh450,000 per month. In some cases, nurses earn as much as Sh700,000.
On August 21, Health Secretary Susan Nkhumicha appointed a second batch of Kenyan nurses to the UK under a bilateral labor agreement.
CS Nakhumicha applauded Kenyan nurses for living up to the expected standards of health workers.
“The bilateral labor agreement between Kenya and the UK demonstrates the strength and benefits of international cooperation and collaboration,” Nakhumicha said.
The Department of Health is beginning to take advantage of this exchange program because it will expand the scope of experience and exposure to new skills and technologies, according to the two Cabinet secretaries.
Makhogu said in coordination with the government’s one-size-fits-all policy, Kenyan nurses who want to work abroad in various ministries will apply for a one-year contract that can be renewed on satisfaction through the Ministry of Manpower.
“You have seen CS Nakhumicha dedicating the first batch of Kenyan nurses to the UK and Saudi Arabia, this is part of the Kenyan Kwanzaa government’s commitment to reduce the high rate of unemployment in the country,” said CS Machgu.
According to the Ministry of Labour, more than four million Kenyans live and work abroad, mostly in the Middle East and Europe.
In his Labor Day speech, President Ruto said that while an estimated 1.2 million Kenyans join the labor market each year, the formal and informal sectors can only absorb 800,000 each year.
Therefore, the need for the government to enter into bilateral agreements with other nations to support skilled and unskilled labor.
“Every year, the money we receive from Kenyans in the diaspora is Ksh. 400 billion. This is more than the export of tea, coffee or horticulture,” he said
According to the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK), Kenya earned more foreign exchange last year from each of its main exports (coffee, tea and horticulture).
Tea, the country’s main export, earned $1.2 billion, while horticulture brought in $901 million, chemicals ($521 million), coffee ($301 million) and petroleum products ($77 million).
President Ruto said, “Many countries have built their citizens by organizing job opportunities for their citizens in other countries, so we plan to plan local jobs, we do the same abroad.”
Kenyan Nurses are Hotcake Oversees, CS Machogu tells KMTC students