Official raises alarm over quack lab technologists in North Rift hospitals

The Kenya Medical Laboratory Technicians and Technologists Board has raised the red flag over increased cases of forged academic documents presented to county governments by job seekers.

The board has cautioned county governments against engaging services of unqualified people in their health facilities as laboratory technologists and technicians.

Board official Luke Chemwok urged county governments to verify the authenticity of documents being presented to them by job seekers before hiring them.

Chemwok was reacting to concerns by stakeholders in the health sector from the North Rift and Western regions over what they said was a high number of unqualified laboratory technologists who had secured employment in county government-run health facilities.

He made the remarks after attending the hearing of a court case where a former senior union leader they arrested was arraigned for acting as a medical laboratory technologist at a public health hospital without registering with the board.

The suspect has reportedly been working at a Uasin Gishu health centre for more than seven years despite allegedly having not trained at any Kenya Medical Training College.

Chemwok said they have enhanced crackdown on unqualified lab technologists and technicians operating in both public and private hospitals in the region.

“Patients seeking services in such facilities are in danger. There is need to avert calamity by cracking down on the quacks,” he said.

“Health facilities sourcing the services of unqualified persons are posing a great danger to patients who are  supposed to go through their hands in the lab,” he warned.

Among the counties, they have intensified the crackdown is Nandi, Elgeyo Marakwet, and Trans Nzoia.

Other counties on the  radar are West Pokot, Bungoma and Turkana.