Expectant women file highest number of medical complaints

Expectant women filed the highest number of medical negligence cases against medics, data from the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC) shows.

Three out of 10 medical negligence cases lodged are related to pregnancy, accounting for 27 per cent of the 1,301 complaints the council has received since its inception.

The data presented yesterday to the Senate’s Health committee revealed that obstetrics and gynaecology recorded the highest number of cases of medical negligence at 360 cases.

Internal medicine came second with 198 cases (16 per cent), followed by surgeries 181, financial/overcharging (120), paediatrics (101) and orthopaedics (98). Failing to give medical reports, sexual harassment, absconding duty and attitude recorded 74 cases.

Complications

Dr Aggrey Akula, a gynaecologist and obstetrician who has attended to thousands of women and has had a case lodged against him, told the Saturday Nation that the department is very delicate.

“This is a very emotional department and if anything goes wrong with the mother, chances of the baby surviving are minimal. We doctors would not wish to lose a patient, but because of complications that arise, we may lose a patient,” he said

Many gynaecologists attributed the high numbers in their area to inadequate personnel and equipment, and lack of access to proper healthcare.

KMPDC chief executive Daniel Yumbya appeared answering questions on under-reporting of medical negligence and malpractice cases in the counties.

Mr Yumbya was also put to task over actions taken against medics at Kapkatet Sub-County Hospital who allegedly pronounced a patient dead only for the patient to be found alive during embalming.

Consultations

He explained that following consultations with the hospital, it emerged that the facility’s mortician accepted a “body” from relatives without clinical confirmation of death.

“This highlights a systemic failure within the hospital’s procedures for receiving, confirming and storage of persons who have died outside the hospital and we determined the body was not examined before being taken to the mortuary directly by his relatives,” Mr Yumbya said.

The KMPDC boss also defended the council against claims that it is not doing enough to discipline its members who engage in medical malpractice.

While only one doctor had been struck off their register in the past 19 years, about 325 others have had their licenses cancelled, suspended or referred for professional training after they were found guilty of malpractice.

Mr Yumbya said of the 1,301 cases filed at the council between 1997 to date, 1,172 complaints have been determined at the first of three levels of redress, while 129 cases are pending at various stages of investigation.

The committee conducts inquiries into the complaints submitted to it and makes appropriate recommendations to the board.

Since the year began, 62 cases have been lodged, last year there were 79, while 2019 had the highest number of cases since the council's inception at 110.