Individuals who refer to themselves as “doctor” when they are not registered or licensed under the relevant professional body will be fined of up to Sh10,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years.
Those found to be operating pharmacies or working as pharmaceutical technologist, but not registered by the relevant bodies risk an enhanced fine of Sh1 million, up from the current Sh30,000.
The medical fraternity has over the years fought to keep quacks out of the industry and the proposed law represents the latest such efforts.
Employers who hire quacks risk up to Sh10 million in fine or a five-year jail term for failure to verify authenticity of professional certificates under a proposed law seeking to weed out impostors in the health industry.
The Health (Amendment) Bill, 2018 also proposes similar punitive measures on medical colleges that compromise training standards for health professionals.
If passed into law, individuals who refer to themselves as “doctor” when they are not registered or licensed under the relevant professional body will be fined of up to Sh10,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years.
Those found to be operating pharmacies or working as pharmaceutical technologist, but not registered by the relevant bodies risk an enhanced fine of Sh1 million, up from the current Sh30,000.
The medical fraternity has over the years fought to keep quacks out of the industry and the proposed law represents the latest such efforts.
In 2018 alone, the Pharmacy and Poisons Board has shut down close to 100 bogus chemists, which it said were either operated by individuals who lacked the requisite medical training or selling substandard and counterfeit drugs.
But even as the industry awaits the processing of the proposed law, the Kenya Medical Technicians and Technologists Board (KMLTTB), a regulator for lab technologist profession, has fired a warning shot by taking 12 county employees to court for working without certificates.
Those found guilty face a fine or a two-year jail term or both, which could consequently see them lose their jobs. KMLTTB said that the 12 , charged at a Chuka court with forgery and practising without required medical documents, are among a pool who get away with endangering the lives of Kenyans.
“We cannot allow those people who want to use shortcuts to get away with such heinous acts,” said the Chairman of the Board Abel Onyango.
The suspects were arrested at county headquarters Kathwana by criminal investigation department officers from the county and KMLTTB officers.
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