Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has suspended all kidney transplant services at Mediheal Group of Hospitals.
The CS has indicated that the move is due to serious concerns over ethical breaches and possible malpractice.
The suspension takes effect immediately, pending further investigations into the hospital’s transplant procedures.
Additionally, two top ministry officials linked to the saga have been suspended.
Patients seeking kidney transplant services have been advised to visit any other licensed facilities cleared to conduct such procedures within the country including Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital and Aga Khan University Hospital.
Other medical institutions include Tenwek Mission Hospital, Eldoret Hospital, Coptic Hospital and Nairobi West Hospital among others.
Also Read: Mediheal Hospital Responds to Claims of Organ Trafficking
Duale Addresses Trafficking at Mediheal
The suspension comes after the ministry received a letter from the Transplantation Society raising the alarm over a surge in Israeli nationals receiving transplants in Kenya at Mediheal Hospital.
In the letter, the Society stated that there was evidence suggesting a possible organ trafficking syndicate exploiting loopholes in the country’s regulations.
Consequently, a multidisciplinary team was dispatched in December 2023 to audit the hospital’s transplant practices.
The findings revealed that some donors were of different nationalities with questionable ties to the recipients.
Further, key medical procedures such as HLA testing were conducted in India without approval and the hospital failed to provide documentation verifying relationships between donors and recipients.
Also, the findings showed that transplants were conducted on high-risk patients, including those with prostate cancer and poor donor-recipient matches.
There was no multidisciplinary committee overseeing transplant approvals, nor reports on transplant outcomes.
The audit revealed that 372 kidney transplants had been carried out at the facility over five years, many involving foreign nationals from Israel, the US, UK, Australia, and across East Africa.
Also Read: From Owning 200 Suits, 18 Phones & 1000 Pairs of Shoes to Facing Auction: Swarup Mishra
Response From the Hospital
In a media interview, Mediheal Group of Hospitals Vice President Maryline Limo dismissed allegations that transplants performed at the facility are not conducted procedurally.
Limo explained that patients seeking transplants come with their donors, adding that the hospital is not involved in the sourcing, as has been claimed.
We would also like to make it clear that the patients are coming with their donors to the facility. The facility is not involved in sourcing and selection of donors to the facility,” she said.
“So, the clients come themselves to the hospital, and the procedures are being followed accordingly,” he said.
Follow our WhatsApp Channel and X Account for real-time news updates.
