Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC) is set to lose some of its function after the National Assembly Health Committee on Health raised concerns over conflict of interest.
The KMPDC, is a body mandated to ensure the provision of quality and ethical health care through appropriate regulation of training, registration, licensing, inspections and professional practice.
Speaking in Mwea during a fact finding mission on private hospitals, the Committee Vice Chairperson, Patrick Munene, said the body has failed Kenyans, as some hospitals registered and classified as level 4 and 5, do not meet the minimum requirements.
“The body responsible for registering health facilities in Kenya, KMPDC, has failed Kenyans, because hospitals registered as level 4 or 5 and you look at the facilities and services they offer, you realize KMPDC failed Kenya terribly. They need to offer a public apology for the confusion they have caused in this country,” Chairperson regretted.
The Health Vice Chair who is also the Member of Parliament for Chuka/Igambang’ombe, attributed the problem to conflict of interest, as doctors who are the members of KMPDC own most private facilities.
He added that the Committee will recommend that registration of services and professionals, be left with KMPDC, but classification and inspection be given to another body.
“It is a great conflict of interest for KMPDC to be given the mandate to license health facilities, because most health facilities are owned by medical doctors. Doctors are fully paid members of KMPDC, so they are checking facilities for their members. We will recommend as Committee that registration of services and professionals, be left with KMPDC, the registration and inspection be given to different body,” Munene observed.
Munene further raised concerns on how easy such private hospitals, get NHIF authorization compared to public hospitals.
“We lose a lot of money through fraudulent claims by hospitals, as a Committee, we undertook the duty to safeguard Kenyans by oversighting duties, to ensure people receive quality for their money through quality service delivery,” the MP said.
Mwea Member of Parliament (MP), Mary Maingi, who is a member Health Committee and host for the Mission in her Constituency, echoed the sentiments, saying KMPDC seems not to be checking the standards before registering a facility level.
Ms Maingi questioned the possibility of 29 surgeries in a day, in a small private hospital.
“There are abnormal surgeries in some hospitals used to siphon money from NHIF. You can find about 29 specialized surgeries per day. We have 24 hours in a day. Pre-Authorization by NHIF takes long, and as leaders we sometimes receive calls from the public seeking for assistance to get that authorization, how can these hospitals get over 20 authorizations per day. If NHIF funds are utilized well it’s enough to pay for every Kenyan medical bills,” Maingi said
Another Health Committee Member, Cynthia Muge, County MP Nandi, said separation will be the only option to ensure the seamless services in the health sector.
By Mutai Kipngetich
