Doctors now to be tested on skills

By PATRICK BEJA

Kenya: New Continuing Professional Development (CPD) guidelines for doctors require those practising in Kenya to upgrade skills and maintain competence so as to remain on an annual register.

The guidelines were unveiled at the 42nd Annual Scientific Conference organised by the Kenya Medical Association (KMA) at the Temple Point beach resort in Malindi.

The professional development activities are aimed at enhancing competencies of doctors in their clinical skills, management, teaching, mentoring, research and the importance of ethnical practice.

Increasing litigations

And the guidelines drawn by the Medical Practitioners and Dentists Board (MPDB) require that all doctors attain a minimum of 50 CPD points in order to be retained in the doctors’ annual register.

The points will be awarded by the board through answering certain questions downloaded from its website or sent through mobile phones as well as participation in professional activities such as scientific conferences.

The launch of the CPD guidelines was presided by High Court Principal judge Richard Mwongo.

MPDB Chief Executive Daniel Yumbya said doctors who would not attain the minimum 50 CPD points would not be registered by the end of this year.

He noted that the practice of medicine and dentistry was characterised by constantly changing disease patterns, management and approaches and advances in technology.

“Medical and dental practitioners therefore have a great responsibility to continually upgrade their knowledge and skills in order to provide quality and optimum health care to their patients,” Yumbya said.

The CPD guidelines are also supposed to serve as quality assurance mechanism to ensure that practitioners maintain their fitness to practise.

“It is important to note that individual and collective commitment to CPD by practitioners and providers will ultimately reduce cases of professional malpractice, build public confidence in our health care systems and enhance the standing of our noble profession,” Yumbya said.

KMA National Chairman Dr Elly Nyaim Opot welcomed the new guidelines saying they would assist doctors in addressing the increasing litigations arising from medical malpractices.

He said the association was pushing for the enlistment of all doctors into the body, which has only 1,300 members so far, and for self-regulation.

shortage of professionals

However, Opot noted that many doctors are accused of malpractices because of lack of equipment and long working hours due to a shortage of professionals.

“Very few doctors are involved in professional negligence due to cases such as substance abuse,” he explained, adding that the country has about 8,700 registered doctors.

Justice Mwongo, who represented Chief Justice Willy Mutunga at the conference, suggested that doctors join KMA to ensure they speak with one voice.

“I am prepared to support the merger of the various bodies to strengthen KMA and enable doctors speak with one voice,” Justice Mwongo said.