Report on kidney scandal faults KMPDC, calls for new organ law

Mediheal Group of Hospitals in Eldoret. April 23, 2025. [Peter Ochieng, Standard] The Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC) failed in its oversight role, according to a committee report on organ trafficking in Kenya. The Independent Investigative Committee on Tissue and Organ Transplant Services recommended that KMPDC be investigated for regulatory failure following a kidney transplant scandal involving the Mediheal Group of Hospitals. The committee, appointed by Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale on April 23, 2025, released its report on July 22. In the report, the committee calls for a fresh investigation by KMPDC into Mediheal and urges the re-categorization of all health facilities across the country within six months. It further recommends that KMPDC conduct thorough assessments and assign appropriate facility categories during licence renewals. "The regulation and licensure process should confirm the qualifications of the service providers in collaboration with other regulatory bodies (health and allied non-health) to regulate other health service providers." The council has been urged to enforce strict ethical and professional standards for foreign medical practitioners. The report also recommends aligning transplant strategies with Universal Health Coverage (UHC), ensuring full entitlements under the benefits package. This includes comprehensive coverage for both donors and recipients, covering pre-screening costs, post-operative care, long-term medication and regular follow-ups. It further calls for the enactment of an Organ and Tissue Transplant Act to regulate transplantation in Kenya. The proposed law would establish a National Organ Transplant Authority and a National Transplant Coordination Centre. According to the committee, the Act would offer a clear framework for transplantation procedures, oversight mechanisms, and ethical compliance. Routine inspections It would also provide a transparent system for identifying donors and allocating organs to recipients based on medical need, establish accreditation protocols and separate blood donation regulation from organ and tissue transplantation. The Ministry of Health was tasked with developing guidelines on transplant accreditation and improving data and registry management. Meanwhile, health regulators were urged to prioritise routine inspections, strengthen accreditation processes, collaborate with stakeholders and build capacity within their institutions. The report recommends that transplant protocols for renal and bone marrow procedures be implemented and enforced across all accredited health facilities. The committee, chaired by Prof Elizabeth Bukusi, also calls for the mandatory formation of multi-disciplinary teams and comprehensive documentation of the Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) process. It urges the Ministry of Health to conduct mandatory audits and ensure regular updates of all transplant procedures, with the data transmitted to a central ministry database. The report further recommends that all facilities adopt Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for transplant services. It proposes the formation of a technical working group to assess current practices, identify gaps and prioritise urgent improvements. For compatibility testing between donors and recipients, the report advises that facilities should use the Kenyatta National Hospital laboratory rather than sending samples to South Africa or India. The Ministry of Health is also urged to launch nationwide awareness campaigns to raise understanding of transplants and combat stigma and misinformation. Skills transfer Additionally, the report calls for increased collaboration among transplant service providers to promote expansion and facilitate skill transfer. According to the findings, only Nairobi West Hospital offers BMT services in Kenya, having conducted 20 procedures since October 2023, primarily for patients with multiple myeloma, severe aplastic anemia, and various forms of leukemia. The report notes that no bone marrow transplants have yet been conducted for sickle cell disease patients. It highlights the absence of a legal or regulatory framework for bone marrow transplantation in Kenya, noting that the services remain costly and the country lacks adequate specialists. At Nairobi West Hospital-the only facility currently offering Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) services-the committee found several shortcomings. These include the absence of a multidisciplinary and ethics team, no formal policy or constitution governing BMT procedures, and the lack of audit reports on post-transplant patient care. The facility also lacks clear criteria and evaluation procedures for selecting bone marrow donors. On cornea transplants, the report notes that 12 facilities currently offer cornea surgery in Kenya. In 2022 alone, these facilities conducted approximately 400 cornea transplants. The committee's findings show that the average cost of a corneal transplant in Kenya is Sh154,916, with the bulk of the expense attributed to processing, shipping and customs clearance of imported corneas.

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