Scandal of 9,000 unregistered health facilities

About 9,000 health facilities are unlicensed, a new audit report shows.

The report from the Auditor General Nancy Gathungu, has blamed Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists’ Council (KMPDC) for failing to ensure all hospitals operate legally.

The report shows that out of the 16,527 registered health facilities in the year 2023 as provided for in their website, only 7,518 or 46 per cent complied with the licensing rules resulting in the 9009 unlicensed or 56 per cent of the facilities.

Read the report: “In the circumstances, Management was in breach of the law.”

The report shows that majority of the un-licensed facilities are National and County Government dispensaries and hospitals whose annual licenses are free of charge but have not undertaken the process of being licensed contrary to Section 15(2) of the Medical Practitioners and Dentists Act, 2012 which states that where the applicant satisfies the Council that the institution meets the requirements for registration, the Council shall register the facility as an approved health institution.

Reads the report: “In addition, there was no evidence to show efforts being made to ensure that the Government facilities comply with the licensing rules for registration.”

The report has also blamed KMPDC for having outstanding payments of Sh5,471,937 in respect of Pay as You Earn (PAYE) and a balance of Sh53,175,567 outstanding in respect of goods and services supplied.

Reads the report: “Failure to settle bills during the year to which they relate distorts the financial statements and adversely affects the budgetary provisions for the subsequent year as they form a first charge.”

Budget guidelines

The report also accuses of the management of being in breach of the law for having budget surplus of Sh139.4 million contrary to Regulation 33(c) of the Public Finance Management (National Government) Regulations, 2015 on budget guidelines which provides that at all times during budget formulation and approval the budget shall be balanced.

The report came hardly a year after KMPDC wrote to the police demanding action against 3,851 health facilities and 3,050 medical and dental practitioners who were yet to renew their licenses.

The health facilities that were by November last year operating without renewing their licenses in Nairobi included; 3RD Park Hospital Limited, A. B Centre Dental Clinic, A.I.C Zion Medical Clinic, and Dispensary, A.I.P.C.A Mahinga Dispensary and Accra Medical Centre.

Others were Adopt a Life Foundation (Ruai Medical Centre), Africare Limited Krishna Park, Africare Limited NGONG 5TH Avenue, Africare Limited SOUTH C Clinic, Africare Limited TRM, Africare LTD Karen Clinic, Africare LTD Mayfair Centre Upperhill, and Afya Royal Clinics Nairobi.

KMPDC is mandated to regulate, train, practice and license medicine, dentistry and healthcare institutions.