Kenya's three major referral hospitals, including Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret, Kenyatta National Hospital and Nakuru County Referral Hospital, face critical shortages of health workers and patient overcrowding. Recent reports highlight a severe lack of experienced nurses and doctors migrating abroad. The situation hampers healthcare delivery.
Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) in Eldoret faces a shortage of health workers, with nearly 1,000 nurses missing. Auditor General Nancy Gathungu's report on the budget ending June 2025 details a deficit of 1,032 staff, including five chief surgeons instead of 11 and six oncologists instead of 14.
"That shortage has greatly affected the provision of health services at the country's second-largest referral hospital," Gathungu stated.
Nakuru County Teaching and Referral Hospital serves over six counties, where two doctors handle more than 1,000 patients daily, as revealed during a Health Committee visit on Tuesday. Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) struggles with bed shortages, some wards at 140% occupancy, and a Sh4.9 billion shortfall in its 2024/2025 budget of Sh22.5 billion.
The main cause is the annual resignation of 60-100 experienced doctors and nurses to Europe, America and the Middle East, alongside long-standing complaints that triggered a strike resolved on Tuesday after negotiations.