Sunday, January 31, 2016

880 doctors under probe in referral-for-bribe scandal

Health PS Nicholas Muraguri: “If a doctor is reported to the medical services board, they will be deregistered for that is a criminal offence.” PHOTO | FILE
Health PS Nicholas Muraguri: “If a doctor is reported to the medical services board, they will be deregistered for that is a criminal offence.” PHOTO | FILE 
By STELLAR MURUMBA and NEVILLE OTUKI
In Summary
  • Up to 880 doctors in public and private hospitals could lose their practising licences and face criminal charges if investigations confirm that they intentionally misadvised patients to seek treatment abroad in exchange for kickbacks.
  • Health Principal Secretary Nicholas Muraguri told the Business Daily that the investigation seeks to identify rogue doctors who have been colluding with specialists in countries such as India to fleece patients of millions of shillings while draining Kenya’s hard currency reserves.
  • Dr Muraguri said any doctor found guilty of the alleged malpractices will be stripped of their practising licences and face the risk of criminal prosecution.

Up to 880 doctors in public and private hospitals could lose their practising licences and face criminal charges if investigations confirm that they intentionally misadvised patients to seek treatment abroad in exchange for kickbacks.
It has emerged that the Ministry of Health received reports on the unethical practice last year and launched investigations whose outcome will be released next month.
Health Principal Secretary Nicholas Muraguri told the Business Daily that the investigation seeks to identify rogue doctors who have been colluding with specialists in countries such as India to fleece patients of millions of shillings while draining Kenya’s hard currency reserves.
Dr Muraguri said any doctor found guilty of the alleged malpractices will be stripped of their practising licences and face the risk of criminal prosecution.
“It is really messy. If a doctor of whatever calibre is reported to the medical services board, they will not only be named and shamed but be deregistered for that is a criminal offence,” Dr Muraguri told the Business Daily.
Kenyan doctors are said to have established a network of illicit dealing with foreign hospitals that ensures a regular flow of patients to the facilities even for ailments that can be treated locally in order to pocket the kick-backs.
The doctors are known to pocket up to Sh200,000 for every referral – mainly of cancer, kidney and cosmetic surgery patients. This adds a huge financial burden on patients because the kickback due to the referring doctor is included in medical bills accruing abroad.
More than 10,000 Kenyans travel abroad each year in search of treatment for various ailments, especially cancer and kidney transplants. The State has narrowed its focus on 880 cases.
Official statistics show that the overseas treatments cost Kenya about Sh10 billion annually. Kenyans are increasingly turning to India, in particular, for treatment of chronic diseases in the belief that the Asian country has better doctors, advanced medical equipment and charges lower, a position Kenyan officials discount.
The PS said Kenya is well-equipped and staffed to conduct cancer treatment, kidney transplants and beauty surgeries, defeating the need for unnecessary travels abroad.
“Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) conducts about 30 kidney transplants a month and some of our private hospitals have capacity for heart transplants, meaning these issues can be managed here,” said Dr Muraguri.
Dr Muraguri said only delicate conditions that local experts cannot treat would warrant overseas care. Kenya has more recently expressed the ambition to become East Africa’s medical tourism hub, a desire that is being undermined by the continuous outflow of patients.
The situation is made even more difficult by the fact that top government officials have ignored the official policy in favour of local healthcare, opting instead for treatment in Europe and the US.
Dr Muraguri said some local practitioners have become money-hungry while overlooking the medical profession’s Hippocratic Oath, which gives top priority to life and welfare of patients.

No comments :

Post a Comment