Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has instructed the Clinical Officers Council to reinspect all health facilities to ascertain that clinical officers working in hospitals are licensed.
Speaking during a meeting at Afya House, Duale noted that the inspection will ensure that Kenyans are protected from being treated by individuals who are not qualified and licensed.
He moreover instructed the council to ensure that it does not licence individuals who have graduated from schools that have not been approved.
CS Duale orders clinical officers council to block licensing of unaccredited graduates. Photo: Courtesy.
“Do not license any clinical officer trained in an institution that has not been duly merited, inspected, and audited by the Council. To reinforce accountability, the CS instructed the Council to undertake a comprehensive re-inspection of all licensed health facilities and submit detailed reports to the Ministry. He also called for the full digitization of COC systems in alignment with the Ministry’s Digital Health Strategy and the Digital Health Agency, to facilitate real-time oversight and eliminate malpractice.”
The directive comes a day after he warned against the accreditation of health facilities that do not meet the required standards.
The CS warned registration officers at the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC) of disciplinary action if they are found to have registered non-compliant facilities.
