Nairobi is the ‘hub’ of unlicensed clinics, new report reveals
Only 1, 500 private clinics operating in Nairobi County have the necessary permits to offer medical services, a new report has shown.
The report by the Nairobi County Public Health Department revealed that the county has 2,315 private clinics, out of which at least 800 or 34 percent of them are open and offering services to Nairobi residents illegally.
This comes as the county health department revealed that Milan Health International, a private clinic associated with quack doctor James Mugo Ndicho alias Mugo Wa Wairimu, had not business permit and license of operation from City Hall and so was being operated illegally.
QUACK DOCTOR
“After a mapping programme carried out in August last year, the department found out that Nairobi has a total of 2, 315 private clinics out of which only 1, 500 have received inspection over time and have been cleared with the department as having the necessary permits,” said Ms Jesca Omai, the Nairobi County Clinical Inspection Coordinator while appearing before the Nairobi County Assembly Health Services Committee last week.
Ms Omai further revealed that the county public health inspection officers were denied entry into the facility during one of their routine inspections but when they made another check on the facility’s compliance, they found it closed.
ASSAULTING PATIENTS
“No license was given to Milan International and we have never met Mugo in the clinic. The applicant for the permits for the clinic was Elijah Mathiai and the documents presented were for a nurse who was allowed to practice,” she said.
Mr Mugo, who is being accused allegedly operating an illegal clinic in Kayole and of sexually assaulting a sedated patient while posing as a medical doctor, was arrested by the police from his hideout in Gachie, Kaimbu County after a search of two weeks.