The Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC) has announced the closure of 544 health facilities and the revocation of licenses for 454 hospitals across the country.
In a gazette notice dated Friday, August 29, the KMPDC stated that the facilities were shut down or downgraded because they were either unregistered or unlicensed. "It is notified for the general information of the public that the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council, in accordance with section 15 (11) and section 22 (5), has closed the following premises for being used as health institutions without being duly registered or licensed, as stated below," the notice read in part.
According to the KMPDC, some of the hospitals closed had employed unregistered or unlicensed practitioners or were operating below the required standards.
KMPDC added that others lacked critical infrastructure, such as pharmacies, maternity wings, and laboratories. Some facilities also faced sanitation issues and inadequate waste disposal, posing a direct threat to patient health.
