The Kenyan government has assured Kenya’s medical regulatory body of continued support to rid the health sector of unprofessional and unethical medical practice. The Standard reports that this is according to Kenyan Health Secretary Sicily Kariuki who was speaking at a workshop that brought together 22 member countries of the Association of Medical Councils of Africa (AMCOA) who are exploring ways on how to improve the health sector regulation.
“Health care regulation is of critical importance to ensuring a quality healthcare system that is timely, accessible and affordable. It is critical that institutions providing healthcare and individual physicians, whether in the private or public sectors, embrace best practice models to ensure better outcomes for patients,” said Kariuki.
The report says Kariuki urged doctors to remain true to their noble calling since the critical role they play in public life cannot be gainsaid. “Over the years, we have had serious ethical issues with some medical professionals. The calling of a doctor is like the calling of a priest; the only difference is that doctors must save lives for this world, while priests do so for the world to come. This requires almost total dedication to duty and absolute commitment to the needs of the human race.”
The report says some of the challenges that Kariuki pointed out include: inadequate personnel; poor distribution of personnel; the rising cost of healthcare services; limited funding and inadequate physical infrastructure; emerging disease patterns – communicable and non-communicable; and increasing commercialization of healthcare.
Daniel Yumbya, the CEO of KMPDB, said the workshop is key for Kenya as it enables the local regulator to benchmark with its peers across the continent. “The workshop plays a significant role by enabling us to share our experiences and also learn from some of the best practices across the continent in order to make the board more effective,” Yumbya is quoted in the report as saying.
[link url="https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/article/2001317613/state-trains-guns-on-medics-who-flout-rules"]The Standard report[/link]