Tanzania's Opposition party Chama Cha Demokrasia (CHADEMA) and the Medical Association of Tanzania (MAT) have rejected a proposed deal of exporting 500 doctors to Kenya.
Opposition leader Freeman Mbowe on Monday indicated that Tanzania had an acute shortage of medical practitioners and exporting 500 doctors would place it in more crisis.
Mr Mbowe further emphasised that the Kenyan government had problems with its own doctors, therefore, exporting the Tanzanian medics would have them engraved in the Kenyan mess.
MAT, through their chairman Dr Obadia Nyongole, indicated that the idea was good but the government ought to have involved them before coming up with the deal.
“The government is doing right in its efforts to seek opportunities for unemployed doctors but MAT was not consulted on this issue. The government should first address the shortfall of doctors and specialists in Tanzania before sending them to Kenya. Dr Nyongole highlighted.
The rejection of the deal comes a few days after the National Super Alliance (NASA) leaders vowed to block the move of importing doctors claiming that there were approximately 1400 unemployed doctors in the country.
“We have a stake in this government and the Jubilee government cannot pretend to love the citizens of this country by importing doctors without settling what is ailing its doctors at home,” Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale indicated.
Khalwale‘s sentiments were echoed by Makueni Senator, Mutula Kilonzo Jnr, who claimed that importing 500 doctors at the expense of so many unemployed medics is “mischief” on the part of the government.
State House, however, dismissed the claims indicating that doctors were the only cadre of professionals posted directly to hospitals after college.
