State seeks end to fake-doctor menace with short message service code

Quack James Ndichu Mugo alias Mugo wa Wairimu at Milimani Law Court on Wednesday, November 14, 2018. An SMS code will enable Kenyans to check whether the doctor attending to them is licensed or not. PHOTO | FILE |

What you need to know:

  • The KMPDB has introduced a short message service (SMS) code and a bar code aimed at reining in the quack-doctor menace

  • The code will also enable Kenyans to get the details and qualifications of the doctor.

  • A report by the Nairobi County Public Health Department revealed that the county has 2,315 private clinics, out of which at least 800 (34 per cent) are open illegally

  • An application known as I-Care is currently at the testing phase and will help in identifying all the health facilities in the country

You will soon be able to confirm whether the doctor attending to you is licensed or not instantly through your mobile phone.

The Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Board (KMPDB) has introduced a short message service (SMS) code and a bar code aimed at reining in the quack-doctor menace that has plagued the country in recent times.

QUALIFICATIONS

KMPDB chief executive officer, Dr Daniel Yumbwa, said that the code, to be launched by Health cabinet secretary Sicily Kariuki next month, will also enable Kenyans to get the details and qualifications of the doctor.

“When one sends the name of a doctor to the SMS code 20547, they will be able to get the details and qualification of the doctor. We are also working on a bar code for all doctors which will reveal to a reader the details of any doctor making it easier to crackdown on quacks. It will become operational in January next year,” said Dr Yumbya.

He was speaking while appearing before the Nairobi County Assembly Health Services committee on Tuesday after being summoned to offer an explanation over the alarming number of illegal clinics in the capital city.

This comes after a report by the Nairobi County Public Health Department revealed that the county has 2,315 private clinics, out of which at least 800 (34 per cent) are open illegally.

DR Yumbya said that and application known as I-Care is currently at the testing phase and will help in identifying all the health facilities in the country.

LEGAL FRAMEWORK

“When one keys in the name of the facility, it will reveal its locality, doctor in charge and services being offered. This will help also during accidents and families will be able to know which facilities the victims are in,” he said.

At the same time, Dr Yumbya blamed Kenya’s weak legal framework and lenient penalties given to quack doctors by the courts for the proliferation of illegal clinics in the country.

He said that the penalty of Sh20, 000 and a maximum jail sentence of six months as contained in the Kenya and Medical Practitioners Act has made the work of the Board untenable as they are not punitive enough to act as a deterrent.

Dr Yumbya said that as a result of the compassionate penalties, the proliferation of the unlicensed facilities in Nairobi and across the country has been a challenge to control.

“Many quack doctors have been arrested for operating illegally but, due to weak penalties, they are released. The penalties contained in the current Act are so lenient that quacks are released on bail of between Sh10, 000 and Sh20, 000 and go back to operating illegally,” said Dr Yumbya.

AMENDMENTS

The Board’s boss said that they have made amendments to the Act create the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Board Amendment Bill, 2018 which was presented to the National Assembly last week.

He said that the Bill calls for an increase in the penalty charged from the current Sh20,000 to Sh5 million to act as a deterrent and make it difficult for the quacks to be released back to the health facilities.

“The Bill has sailed through and we are only waiting for the presidential assent,” he said.