Seven doctors died by suicide in the last two years alone, Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentist Union (KMPDU) has revealed.
KMPDU linked suicide cases to depression.
The union's secretary general Davji Atellah revealed that some of the doctors are frustrated after waiting for too long to secure employment.
The union Secretary General Davji Atellah said at least 4,000 doctors are currently unemployed despite the country facing a shortage.
"We have a situation where doctors go for an internship but then after completing the internship, they are dumped. The policy of train and dump has led many into depression," Atellah explained in an interview with the Star on Wednesday.
The union revealed that the country is in a situation where a doctor has gone to school but cannot provide for his or her family due to unemployment.
"Government should provide an enabling environment for the doctors to work in the private sector if they cannot be absorbed after graduation," Atellah said as he suggested ways to deal with the current state of affairs.
The Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO) has also raised concerns about the high number of clinicians who are jobless yet the country needs more health workers.
Peterson Wachira, the union's chairman, said some of the well-trained doctors and nurses are now moving out of the country to go work in other countries.
"We have about 9,000 clinical officers and almost 20,000 nurses who are not employed," Wachirsa said.
President William Ruto’s administration plans to hire 20,000 healthcare workers to bridge the existing gap.
Health CS Susan Nakhumicha indicated that the health workers would be absorbed over a three-year period if the Treasury allocates the Ministry Sh21 billion.
