Seychelles: Endorsed the signing of a MoU with Zambia to enable the recruitment of Zambian Health Experts

By Abdul Rahman Bangura–

NEW AFRICA DAILY NEWS (NADN) Freetown, Sierra Leone– Seychelles’ Ministry of Health asserted that Minister Peggy Vidot and her Zambian partner- Sylvia Masebo approved of this development during a meeting at the 73rd Regional Committee of the Africa region of the World Health Organization (WHO).

“The MoU will also allow Seychellois health professionals to be trained in Zambia. Seychelles has a lack of health professionals while Zambia has a surplus. Discussions have been ongoing between the two sides since early this year for the recruitment of doctors,” the Ministry asserted.

Dialogues have existed between the two sides since this early part of 2023 for the recruitment of doctors.

According to the Annual Health Sector Performance Report of 2022, as at the end of 2022, there were 514 doctors on the register of the Seychelles Medical and Dental Council (SMDC). Only 22% are Seychellois nationals and around 241 doctors on the register were
professionally active in Seychelles in 2022.

As per Article 29 of the Constitution, Seychelles offers free primary health care in state institutions for all its denizens. During her meeting, Vidot explained, “With the MoU, Seychelles stands to benefit from a broader scope of cooperation, sharing of best practices and capacity building.”

Minister Vidot similarly greeted the Health Minister of Rwanda, Sabin Nsanzimana, to follow up on the signing of an MoU held in dialogues in June with Rwandan President Paul Kagame. Vidot and Nsanzimana conceded to the visit of a committee from the Seychelles Health Ministry to Rwanda for Seychelles to have a wider vision of the health training facilities, the primary health care system, and the use of the electronic health information system there, amongst others.

The affiliation between Seychelles, Rwanda, and Zambia exemplifies a fresh strategy of the island nation’s Ministry of Health, to work together more with high-performance developing nations.

The 73rd Session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa took place in Gaborone, Botswana from August 28th, 2023 to September 1st, 2023.

For New Africa Daily News Abdul Rahman Bangura Reports,  Africa Correspondent