All health facilities located in restricted areas such as petrol stations and residential buildings have been ordered to relocate.
The Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC) in a statement on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, notified the hospitals operating from such areas that the locations are unsuitable for healthcare operations.
The health facilities have therefore been ordered to relocate within six months, failure to which they will face closure.
KMPDC in the notice further says that the restriction aims to reduce the spread of infections and ensure the safety of patients.
KMPDC raises safety concerns
Additionally, the statutory authority notes that safety concerns such as risks from flammable materials, inadequate infrastructure, and disturbances that compromise patient care have necessitated the directive.
Relocating to unrestricted locations, KMPDC says, will provide a safe and conducive environment for both patients and the community.
“Health facilities located in restricted areas, such as petrol stations and residential buildings, are hereby notified that these locations are unsuitable for healthcare operations. This restriction aims to reduce the spread of infections and ensure the safety of patients. Additionally, safety concerns such as risks from flammable materials, inadequate infrastructure, and disturbances that compromise patient care necessitate this directive. To provide a safe and conducive environment for both patients and the community, these facilities must relocate within six months. Failure to comply will result in closure,” the notice read.
KMPDC’s mandate
The KMPDC is a body mandated to ensure the provision of quality and ethical health care through appropriate regulation of training, registration, licensing, inspections, and professional practice.
Last year, the authority was at the center of a controversy after the National Assembly Health Committee raised concerns over conflict of interest.
Speaking in Mwea in February 2024 during a fact-finding mission on private hospitals, the Committee Vice Chairperson, Patrick Munene, said the body had failed Kenyans, as some hospitals registered and classified as level 4 and 5 did not meet the minimum requirements.
“The body responsible for registering health facilities in Kenya, KMPDC, has failed Kenyans because hospitals registered as level 4 or 5, and when you look at the facilities and services they offer, you realize KMPDC failed Kenya terribly. They need to offer a public apology for the confusion they have caused in this country,” the chairperson regretted.
