Medical board says its doing its best to tame rogue doctors
From left to right: Chairman Preliminary Inquiry Committee Dr David Kiima, Medical Practitioners and Dentists Board CEO Daniel Yumbya and the board legal consultant Munga Murage at Kenyatta National Hospital on October 16, 2015 during preliminary inquiry committee on handling of the late Alex Madaga. PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
About 430 medical professionals are either on suspension or on professional training after they were found liable for malpractice.
Mr Yumbya said of the 886 cases filed at the board between 1997 to date, 735 have been determined at the Preliminary Inquiry Committee — which is the first of three levels of redress.
Nairobi leads with four cases, followed by Kiambu, Trans Nzoia, Kisumu, and Kisii counties with two cases each while Nyeri has one case.
The Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Board has defended itself against reports it is not doing enough to discipline its members who engage in medical malpractices.
Chief Executive Officer Daniel Yumbya said while only one doctor had been struck off their register in the past 19 years, about 430 others are either on suspension or on professional training after they were found liable for malpractice.
However, Mr Yumbya did not give a detailed breakdown of the nature of the cases, including the punishments for the doctors found culpable and what happened to the facilities involved.
His reaction was prompted by Nation’s coverage, in Monday’s edition, of cases of medical negligence in several counties, including the case of a woman who lost her entire breast to a wrong cancer diagnosis.
Mr Yumbya said of the 886 cases filed at the board between 1997 to date, 735 have been determined at the Preliminary Inquiry Committee — which is the first of three levels of redress.
The committee conducts inquiries into the complaints submitted to it and makes appropriate recommendations to the board.
“At this level, a medical practitioner or dentist can be compelled to undergo continuous professional development. The board can also suspend the licence of a medical institution for a period of not more than six months,” Mr Yumbya told the Nation on Monday.
He said at least 13 cases are at the second level, the Professional Conduct Committee, which conducts inquiries into the complaints within counties.
Nairobi leads with four cases, followed by Kiambu, Trans Nzoia, Kisumu, and Kisii counties with two cases each while Nyeri has one case.
The Tribunal, the last tier, has heard 15 cases of alleged malpractice that were referred to the board by either the Preliminary Inquiry Committee or the Professional Conduct Committee.
Since the year began, five cases have been lodged with the board, which says 123 cases are in various stages of investigations.
Professional negligence is an act of omission by a health provider in which the treatment or procedure provided falls below the accepted standards of practice in the medical community and causes injury or death to the patient.
Mr Yumbya also clarified that while one requires to pay Sh2,000 to lodge a complaint, “there are waivers in some cases”.
Patients, their families, media, professional associations as well as the office of the Ombudsman can lodge malpractice or medical negligence cases with the board.
Mr Yumbya further said the board, unlike the common perception is not taking too long to deliver justice, insisting that most of the cases are determined within two years.
