BOSIRE: Who will save Kenyans from these quacks?

We once received a mother in labour, who had been admitted to a local unlicensed facility. She had been in labour for 26 hours, before she finally got to deliver.

Unfortunately, her baby had hydrocephalus, an abnormality of the head where there is excessive accumulation of cerebro-spinal fluid, causing it to enlarge massively.

The baby was born in breech (feet coming out first) and the head got stuck inside the womb. The quacks, not knowing what to do, decapitated the baby, leaving the head inside the mother.

They referred the mother to us for further care, escorted her to the hospital, but took off once she had entered the labour ward. Her baby’s body was left in a polythene bag next to her on the stretcher.

I remembered this unfortunate case while watching the investigative feature on NTV on a horror we had long buried under the carpet.

James Mugo Ndichu, popularly known as Mugo wa Wairimu, is facing charges for 11 different offences, ranging from rape, to operating a clinic without a license, impersonating a doctor and selling drugs without a license.

He is out on bail as his trial goes on, back in business, preying on unsuspecting Kenyans.

POVERTY

It is beyond comprehension how anyone in their sound mind would consider entering such a dingy-looking place in search of healthcare. That one would turn a blind eye to the obviously drunk person purporting to treat them and feel safe enough to trust them with their health.

Poverty is a huge driving force behind the existence of quacks and their establishments. Quack clinics mushroom in low socio-economic population-dense areas, where the naïve populace is taken advantage of by dangerous criminals who endanger their lives without remorse and get away with it. And despite killing and maiming Kenyans, they continue to thrive.

The quacks make up for their lack of real medical knowledge and skills with good customer relations, that sway the masses who follow them blindly.

The proprietor of these small clinics becomes well known and is generally well-respected, with no one questioning their authority or credentials or legal status.

The community becomes protective of their “doctor” and will go to great lengths to defend them. On several occasions, villagers have come out to attack health regulators when they seek to close down quack establishments, in defence of their “hospital”.

CONCERTED EFFORT

Quacks exist to rip the poor off their hard-earned money. If no money is changing hands, they have no incentive to exist.

It is incumbent upon the government to ensure the presence of adequate facilities to match population demands in all areas, to drive quacks out of business. This is the end vision of universal health coverage. That all Kenyans shall access at least the minimum package of health benefits without exposing them to financial hardships.

There must be a concerted effort to educate the public on how to identify a real practitioner from a quack and how to ascertain the registration status of a health facility.

Armed with information, the public shall effectively police their own neighbourhoods to rout out quacks. This can only happen when they appreciate the danger these quacks put their lives in.

Arresting Mugo wa Wairimu will take more than the efforts of the department of criminal investigations. The public must also assist in tracing him, as they would any other offender.

In addition, the criminal justice system must come out strongly to protect the population by decisively dealing with people who endanger lives for gain.

Just as we are encouraging the populace to speak out against reckless drivers in public transport, the same must take place in the health sector.

The proposed amendments in the Medical Practitioners and Dentists’ Board act (Cap 253), seek to impose stiff penalties on imposters purporting to be doctors, as a deterrent to those intent on misleading the public.

We also need to change our perceptions on health. It does not make sense for a woman to spend a tidy sum of money on hair and beauty products without missing a beat, but find it expensive to invest the same in seeking health services.

As long as individual perception of the importance of health remains warped, we shall continue to be exploited by quacks who dangle the prospect of cheaper options. In the end, cheap kills!

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Is your doc genuine?

1. All doctors should have a valid registration number on a registration certificate with their details issued by the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Board.

2. All doctors should have a current practising card renewable every year.

3. You can request the practitioner to show you these practising documents or check KMPDB website (http://medicalboard.co.ke/online-services/retention/) to verify the registration status of your doctor, using their name. You can also call KMPDB to verify the status of the doctor.

4. To check the status of a pharmacy send an SMS to 21031

5. The state of the facility (it should be in good condition).

6. Report any suspicious practitioners or health facilities to the authorities.