Health CS Duale declares medical colleges, foreign doctors to be vetted afresh

In its plan to crack down on quacks in the health sector, the government will re-vet and re-license all medical training colleges as well as foreign doctors operating in the country. 

Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said the exercise to root out mushrooming substandard medical colleges, and local and foreign quacks in the health sector will start this week. 

The decision to vet foreign doctors operating in Kenya, according to Duale, follows reports that some of them have been deregistered in their home countries. 

Duale said institutions that have exceeded the admission capacity, commercialised training of doctors and lack internship facilities will be de-registered. 

“We are seeing the effects of unregulated expansion in training institutions, some of which admit over four times their capacity. This threatens the quality and integrity of our healthcare system,” Duale said. 

The CS said bonly foreign doctors providing humanitarian services will be allowed to operate in Kenya, in a move aimed at curbing the commercialisation of basic health services. 

He spoke during the Kenya Medical, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) annual delegates conference in Mombasa. 

The CS said the ministry’s and KMPDU’s digitisation will eliminate local and foreign quacks who have infiltrated the profession. 

 “We know of some institutions given a capacity of 50 but have over 200. This threatens the standard of healthcare givers,” said Duale. 

The CS said that, except for foreign doctors involved in humanitarian aid, the ministry will de-register all others. 

He said that the regulatory bodies have cancelled practising licences of some of the foreign doctors working in Kenya. 

Duale said the country has enough doctors already trained and ready for the job market, adding that his office will work with counties to expand internship centres and achieve equitable deployment. 

Duale admitted that delayed postings, inadequate supervision, and oversupply from some institutions are all part of a broken pipeline. 

The CS further noted that 503 pharmacists’ interns will begin their rotations in July. 

The CS said the government paid Sh1.75 billion to settle debts owed to medical practitioners under the Return to Work formula and that the balance  will be settled in next financial year. 

He said the ministry has begun remitting tuition payments for doctors in training. 

Duale said the Ministry has already disbursed Sh73,826,182 as tuition fees for the first cohort of 54 doctors, and payment for the remaining 39 doctors is currently being processed. 

KMPDU chairman Abidan Mwachi asked the government to deal with the doctor deficit in the country, which he said is hurting the health sector. 

Dr Mwachi also hinted at a strike in Kiambu, Trans Nzoia, Kisumu, Lamu, Kajiado, Laikipia, and Nakuru counties, saying the governors of those counties have failed to address the plight of medics. 

“These counties listed have issues of remitting statutory deductions, salary arrears and other remuneration matters to their healthcare employees,” said Mwachi.