The Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC) is cautioning the public from seeking medical or dental services from unregistered and unlicensed facilities.
The KMPDC has recently received reports of medical and dental services being offered in facilities that do not have the proper registration and licensing including pharmacies and laboratories.
KMPDC wishes to clarify that medical and dental services can only be provided in health facilities that are registered and licensed to operate in Kenya. Standalone laboratories and pharmacies are registered and licensed within their regulatory framework for the specific purposes of diagnostic testing and medication dispensing.
Invasive procedures, such as those involving injection of medications, procedures requiring local anesthetics, and procedures on teeth, are considered medical services and are required to be undertaken in health facilities and by practitioners who are registered and licensed by the Council.
Section 22 (5) of the Medical Practitioners and Dentists Act (CAP 253) states that a person who uses the premises of a health institution whose premises is not licensed as a health institution commits an offense and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding ten million shillings or imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years or to both.
The KMPDC is mandated by law to carry out inspections of all health institutions in Kenya. If a facility is found to be operating without the proper registration and licensing, the KMPDC will take enforcement action, which may include the closure of the facility.
The KMPDC has published a list of health facilities that are registered and licensed to operate in the country for the year 2023. This list is available at https://kmpdc.go.ke/.
The KMPDC advises the public to seek treatment from health facilities that are registered and licensed by the Council.
The registration and licensing status of a health facility can also be verified through a toll-free SMS by sending a message: