KENYA— The Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC), has closed over 260 health facilities across Kenya for non-compliance to standards and codes prescribed to run the facilities.
KMPDC announced that it has so far inspected and visited 1,305 facilities in Nairobi, Mombasa, Meru and Embu including medical clinics, dispensaries, health centres, nursing homes, dental clinics, and faith-based centre hospitals.
In conjunction, to the impromptu checks and inspections, KMPDC CEO Dr. David Kariuki announced that the body sought to ensure all facilities and practitioners are working with updated licenses and as per code of conduct of the licenses they signed.
Speaking during a crackdown in Nakuru, Kariuki noted that in the county out of 250 health facilities they had closed 44 who were found to be non-compliant to the standards and had been closed.
“Apart from having expired samples and not following due process and procedures for samples that had been collected from patients, the other major issue we have seen is non-compliance to infection prevention and control procedures,” Kariuki said.
According to KMPDC, 263 of the 436 registered health facilities in Mombasa County were visited, with 46 being closed for operating unlawfully.
Last month, KMPDC warned hospitals and practitioners operating without a valid license that they risked closure and imminent arrest.
The regulator published a list of unlicensed medical, and dental practitioners and health facilities in the country warning that they are liable to conviction.
KMPDC said such people on conviction shall be liable to a fine not exceeding Sh5 million or imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years or both as stipulated in the law.
The Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentist Council (KMPDC) stated that it permanently closed 44 hospitals for gross violation of its guidelines, including defaulting on licence renewal and for not offering requisite services, while 16 had a partial closure.
According to KMPDC, more than 3,000 local practitioners were operating without a licence and are putting all of them on notice.
“Effective immediately, KMPDC will be taking strict actions against defaulting practitioners and health facilities,” Kariuki said.
Many of the flagged practitioners, the council says, have been operating for 10-15 years without renewing practice permits.
The council has further advised the public to seek services from registered practitioners and facilities.
Moreover, they shared that the facilities’ registration status is verifiable through an SMS short code, 20547.
KMPDC CEO noted that 60 people had been arrested and would be arraigned to face various charges.
“We are undertaking this exercise to weed out the facilities that could likely compromise the health standards of the country by providing services that are not in tandem with the provisions of the law,” said the KMPDC boss.
He said the actions are part of efforts being taken by the council to clean up the mess in the healthcare sector in the wake of reports of unregulated facilities offering services.
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