Doctors on Demand

　　Kenyan businessman David Njagi， 34， isa big fan of Chinese doctors， visiting them for ahost of ailments. “They are very professional intheir work. They are also friendly. I always payless for the services and that is very motivating，”he said. Njagi adds that his father and motheralso seek Chinese medical services as they arereliable. Chinese hospitals and related facilitiesare flourishing in Kenya as demand for medicalservices in both urban and rural areas continuesto rise.

　　With the movement of Kenyan doctors toother countries， there is an increase in foreigndoctors [coming to Kenya]. With the increase intreatment of certain diseases， doctors with differentspecialties are also in greater demand， saidDaniel Yumbya， CEO of the Kenya Dentists andMedical Practitioners Board.

　　Exodus of doctors

　　“A lot of them [foreign doctors] will continue tobe licensed as long as they are qualified. We arelosing our own doctors for better opportunitiesabroad and we want the best medical services forthe people. As ailments like diabetes， liver cancerand kidney disease continue to increase， thedemand for specialized doctors also increases，”said Yumbya.

　　He said Kenya is losing about 200 doctors indifferent medical specialties each year， a figurethat is clearly causing much concern. “We arelosing dentists， gynecologists， surgeons， pediatricians，physicians and pharmacists at alarmingrates and we are now seeing an increase in verytalented and experienced Chinese doctors，” Yumbyatold ChinAfrica.

　　Kenyan law requires that any medicalfacility or practitioner be registeredwith the country’s Dentists and MedicalPractitioners Board. The board isregistered under the Kenyan Ministryof Health. “The demand for maternalhealth has seen many Chinese doctorscome into the country and get licensesto practice medicine. The country hopesto reduce the high rates of maternaldeaths. The Ministry of Health reportsthat every two hours a woman dies duringchild birth or pregnancy，” Yumbya said. Headded that the government agency will continueto register Chinese doctors as they are veryprofessional， friendly and concerned on mattersrelated to public health.

　　The increase in Chinese doctors comes at atime when China has pledged to invest more than$6 billion in health services in East Africa overthe next six years， according to Kenya’s Ministryof Health.

　　“A lot of the hospitals are Chinese owned andChinese staff are used a lot in various services，but there is also an increase in [traditional]Chinese medicine in the hospitals. The use of the[traditional Chinese] medicine has to be licensedby the Pharmacy and Poisons Board under theMinistry of Health，” Kenya’s Health Cabinet SecretaryJames Macharia told ChinAfrica.

　　He said Chinese doctors are operatingnot only in Kenyan governmenthospitals， but also in fully owned andoperated Chinese facilities in the country.“There is great demand for experienceddoctors in the country I maysay，” said Macharia.

　　There are currently over 3，000registered Chinese doctors in Kenya，according to official government figures.That number is set to increase thisyear as many Kenyan medical professionalsseek greener pastures abroad.

　　Those pastures include the UnitedStates， United Kingdom， Mexico， Indiaand Australia. The average monthly salary fora government physician in Kenya is just $700compared with about $4，000 starting salary inthe European Union.

　　Less costly

　　“Most of the Chinese doctors have private clinics；

　　there are about 218 all over the country.

　　They are cheap depending on the service thatyou may need，” said Macharia. He estimates thatbased on studies conducted， on average theChinese facilities are 13 percent cheaper thanKenyan hospitals. “But if you visit a private clinic，you will get higher rates，” said Macharia.

　　China has in recent months given medical aidto Kenya in HIV/AIDS services. So far， the country’sprofessionals are providing counseling andtesting in its facilities and partnering with thegovernment to distribute free condoms in prevention.

　　“China has also invested a lot in birthcontrol programs， in a few years， the influenceof which will begin to be felt，” said Macharia.

　　Studies done in Kenya show that there isalso a need for gynecologists in the countryas reproductive health problems continue toincrease. The country is in need of about 500experienced gynecologists who specialize ininfertility. “There are many cases of increasinginfertility in the country among marriedcouples. Many are now opting for assisted-birthsrelated technologies such as invitro fertilization.The problem is that there are not many doctorswho are experienced or specialized in this technique，”said Macharia.

　　It is estimated that 34 percent of marriedcouples in Kenya cannot have children， hencethe need for doctors qualified in the specialty.“Chinese medicine has helped me and my wifehave a child，” said Njagi.

　　Apart from Kenya， China is now also lookingto Uganda， Tanzania， Burundi and Rwandaas countries to increase its medical investments.