Nakuru Level Five Hospital on spot for hosting quack doctors

Nakuru Level Five Hospital is on the spot once again after a man posing as a doctor was arrested at the facility.

The quack doctor was apprehended last week in the outpatient section.

Three people have in the past three years been arrested for posing as employees of various departments doing different assignments. Interestingly, all the four, including the 33-year-old man arrested last week were treating patients in the referral facility.

The Clinical Officer in Charge Joseph Keriyo said George Mburu used to pose as a doctor and a clinical officer before his arrest.

His arrest was prompted by numerous complaints from patients that doctors at the outpatient and casualty wards were forcing them to pay for services.

The officer said while on his normal supervisory duties, he saw the suspicious man dressed in full doctor's uniform; white dust coat and a stethoscope handling patients.

On interrogation, Mr Mburu who identified himself as 'Geovarious Njuguna' said he was a nurse, but on further grilling, he said he was a community health worker.

Mburu further claimed he was a volunteer health worker though his details were not at the hospital database.

The suspect had no identification as a health care worker apart from his national identification card.

Mr Keriyo said according to patients, Mburu had been forcing them to pay for services, including for blood samples, without issuing payment vouchers as per the hospital rules.

Defending himself, Mburu said he had served as a volunteer at Kitale District Hospital before moving to Nakuru.

The clinical officer regretted that most victims seeking P3 services were falling into the hands of con doctors that make it difficult to handle the cases in court.

Those affected in P3 services include sexual harassment victims, accident survivors and insurance companies.

A doctor at the outpatient where Mburu was arrested said the number of patients visiting the hospital was overwhelming for the medical personnel.

"The hospital receives numerous desperate patients who believe anyone dressed in a white coat is a doctor, and they go after them for services, a move that makes it difficult to detect any fake operator," said the doctor who sought anonymity.

Contacted, the hospital superintendent John Murima said quacks take advantage of the high flow of patients and trainees to masquerade as employees.

Dr Murima said the hospital has a mechanism to arrest and arraign in court illegal operators.

"This is a teaching hospital, somebody takes advantage to masquerade as an employee, we immediately arrest them," said Dr Murima.