Discussion Paper No. 35 of 2004 on A Review of the Regulatory Framework for Private Healthcare Services in Kenya

Abstract

This paper examines the regulatory issues that govern private healthcare services in Kenya. It identifies the existing gaps which make enforcement of the laws governing private healthcare provision difficult and the laws that need to be amended for proper regulation of private healthcare providers. The major finding is that the legal and regulatory requirements for the practice and provision of private healthcare have serious weaknesses, which need to be addressed by the Ministry of Health and the various regulatory agencies. Unfortunately, some of the regulatory agencies have not been functional. For instance, the Central Board of Health, whose critical role is to advise the Minister for Health on all matters related to health, has never been constituted. Despite the fact that pharmacists and traditional practitioners are a major source of healthcare for many households, these healthcare providers are not regarded as medical practitioners and are therefore not properly regulated.