Health facilities located in restrictive areas such as petrol stations and residential buildings have been issued a six-month vacate notice by the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC).
In a statement to the Press, KMPDC said the vacation is aimed at ensuring the safety of patients while reducing the spread of infections at the same time.
“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,” KMPDC said in the notice to the facilities.
According to the health facility regulators, the relocation will see the community and patients have a conducive environment.
They warned that failure to comply with the relocation notice would lead to the closure of the facilities.
“The facilities must relocate within six months. Failure to comply will result in closure,” KMPDC warned.
According to KPMDC, petrol stations and residential areas are susceptible to the spread of infections among patients and pose a significant safety risk.
They added that risks from flammable materials, inadequate infrastructure, and disturbance, which compromise the care for patients, necessitated the call for relocation.
“Safety concerns, such as risks from flammable materials, inadequate infrastructure, and disturbances that compromise patient care, necessitate this directive,” they said in the statement.
The directive by KMPDC comes weeks after the Ministry of Health ordered the health facilities regulator to close all the unauthorized aesthetic clinics that have been operating illegally in the country.
The ministry’s directive was after a comprehensive investigation in major cities, which indicated that most of the beauty SPAs were conducting plastic surgeries and invasive cosmetic procedures against the law and without licenses from the regulator.
The investigations indicated that almost 25 per cent of the clinics failed to meet the set legal standards
