Uhuru reassures of safe release of abducted Cuban doctors

 

President Uhuru Kenyatta has reiterated Kenya's commitment to ensure the safe return of Cuban doctors kidnapped by al Shabaab in 2019.

He made the assurance during a meeting with Cuban Foreign Affairs Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla on Saturday.

Surgeon Landy Rodríguez Hernández and specialist in general medicine Assel Herrera Correa were kidnapped in Mandera.

During the meeting, a range of matters of bilateral importance between the two countries were discussed.

“I just want to say that we value your support and reiterate that Cuba has a true friend in Kenya. We will always stand in solidarity with you in whatever form at the multilateral level,” Uhuru said.

Kenya and Cuba have pledged to enhance bilateral relations in the field of research, vaccines and pharmaceutical products.

The Kenyan government started implementing a health agreement signed with Cuba in 2017.

 Health CS Mutahi Kagwe said Kenya has picked key lessons from Cuba’s highly successful primary healthcare delivery model.

In May, 48 Kenyan specialists graduated from advanced training in Cuba.

The 48 doctors were selected from various counties and sent to Havana in September 2018 for two years training in family medicine. 

“We are looking to borrow from the medical administration course offered in Cuban universities which lays a lot of emphasis on primary healthcare, premised on prevention other than curative,” Kagwe said.

“We admire the fact that physicians don’t just wait in facilities but rather visit households from where they start encouraging household members to adopt healthy choices in diet and hygiene.” 

Cuba has placed emphasis on the availability of healthcare by ensuring that it has a sufficient number of healthcare professionals and is oriented in such a way that prevention happens at primary level.   BY THE STAR