Policy Brief No. 16 of 2006 on Strengthening the Regulatory Framework for Private Healthcare Providers in Kenya

Abstract

Private healthcare provision has grown from a few providers at independence to about 2,640 by 2004.This growth can be traced in two periods. The first was the 1970s when the government allowed civil servants to engage in private remunerative activities in their free time,on condition that these activities are not prejudicial to their public service.The second was in the early 1980s when the government sought to withdraw this privilege because of abuses. Many doctors resigned from government services after their part-time licenses were withheld. The policy was later modified to allow specialist doctors to engage in part-time private practice but junior doctors were denied this opportunity. This change of rules governing private practice of government health officials led to setting up of different health institutions ranging from clinics to hospitals.