Governor Mung'aro orders crackdown on illegal health facilities
Kilifi Governor Gideon Mung'aro.
Kilifi Governor Gideon Mung'aro has ordered a crackdown on private health facilities after concerns were raised that medical practitioners were taking advantage of the ongoing national doctors' strike to provide unauthorised services.
The governor also called on health workers employed by the county government who are running private facilities to close them down within a week.
In Magarini sub-County, Mr Mung'aro said two people died last week at a private clinic run by a county health worker.
One of the deceased was a woman from Mere village in Gongoni ward, who had gone there to give birth.
On Tuesday last week, the woman identified as Sophia Said went to give birth at the private clinic in Kisumu Ndogo, Malindi because she could not get services at public hospitals but died leaving behind a baby girl.
“Our doctors are on strike and are operating their private clinics. I ask any of them who own a clinic to close within one week, or we shall forcefully close them. We will close all illegal health facilities and prosecute the owners. We cannot let unknown quacks kill people at the grassroots,” he said.
Mr Mung’aro castigated the doctors that they have taken advantage of the strike to frustrate the people of Kilifi seeking medical services as they operate their private clinics.
He warned the health department against paying striking doctors.
“I have instructed that every doctor who has not reported to work will not be paid salaries for this month. We cannot pay people who are at home,” he said.
The governor stated that the Kilifi doctors had no reason to be on strike since the county government recently addressed their grievances, including promotions and salary increments, and dared them to go to court for not being paid.
He, however, added that the county government had started to employ new doctors to replace those on strike.
The Nation established that a clinical officer at the said private clinic conducted a Caesarean Section without a qualified theatre team.
Gender Cabinet Secretary Aisha Jumwa called on the Director of Criminal Investigations and other investigating agencies to launch investigations on illegal health facilities in Kilifi.
Ms Jumwa called for the immediate arrest of the proprietor of the private clinic following the death of the expectant woman.
The CS said they had established that the owner of the clinic was operating illegally and had no knowledge of maternal health and how to conduct deliveries through the Caesarian Section.
“Our security agencies should not let go of this matter. We must ensure the quack doctor is arrested, prosecuted and his clinic closed. Today we have lost one woman but we must protect against unexpected deaths among pregnant women and babies who might find themselves in the hands of quacks,” she said.
Women in labour in rural areas of the county continue to suffer as doctors’ strike enters the eighth week.
The National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) called on the Kenya Medical and Dentists Practitioners Union, the county and the national government to address the problem amicably.
We find it unbelievable that the strike by doctors and other medical staff has entered its eighth week without resolution. Recognising that the first duty of leaders and managers is to solve problems, we call on those in positions of responsibility to step aside if they are unable to resolve this crisis.
"The pain and suffering of Kenyans who daily bury their loved ones who die from treatable diseases must be brought to an end," said Bishop Peter Mwero, Chairman of the NCCK Coast Region.
