EAC gets Sh8b facility to upgrade medical skills

Kenya: Kenya is among four East African countries set to benefit from a Sh8 billion ($98.22 million) loan from the African Development Bank (AfDB) to promote centres of excellence in the region.

The bank's board of directors approved the loans to finance the first phase of East Africa's Centres of Excellence (CoEs) for skills and tertiary education in Biomedical Sciences.

"The project aims to contribute to the development of a skilled workforce in Biomedical Sciences to meet the region's immediate labour market needs and support implementation of EAC's free labour market protocols," the bank stated.

The bank's financing represents 91.05 per cent of the entire project cost estimated at Sh9.2 billion ($107.81 million). The four governments will provide countre-funding to the tune of $8.97 million (762 million).

Phase one of the project will support creation of a network of Centres of Excellence in biomedical sciences and engineering.

In Kenya, the main focus would be Nephrology and Urology. In Uganda, focus will be on Oncology, while the centres will also address Cardiovascular in Tanzania and Biomedical Engineering and e-health in Rwanda.

The CoEs will seek to deliver quality and relevant skills development, research and service delivery. The project is expected to directly improve on the quality and affordability of service delivery to EAC citizens seeking kidney, heart and cancer services.

Besides, it will endeavour to develop higher education programmes and collaborate with 'world-class' institutions in curriculum development, faculty exchange, mentoring, access to resource materials, and carry out joint thematic biomedical research and publish it.

At least 100,000 EAC citizens seek these services abroad each year.

The project has the potential to create jobs for professionals and support services through medical tourism from other African regions.

The CoEs targets 150 students on postgraduate programmes (140 masters, 10 PhD) in addition to 300 trainees for short courses in Phase 1. The EAC private sector will also benefit from a qualified and accredited relevant skilled workforce instead of relying on foreign professionals.