NAIROBI, Kenya Apr 15 \u2013 A parliamentary committee has cleared Mediheal Group of Hospitals of allegations of organ trafficking, bringing to a close month of scrutiny over kidney transplant procedures at its Eldoret facility.<\/p>\n
In a report tabled before the National Assembly of Kenya on Wednesday, the Departmental Committee on Health found no evidence of malpractice or ethical violations linked to the hospital.<\/p>\n
The inquiry, chaired by James Nyikal, was launched in April 2025 following claims of irregularities in transplant services at Mediheal\u2019s Eldoret branch.<\/p>\n
The investigation was initiated after Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale ordered the suspension of kidney transplant services at the facility over concerns of possible ethical breaches.<\/p>\n
After nearly a year-long probe, lawmakers concluded that the claims were unsubstantiated and recommended that all sanctions imposed on the hospital be lifted.<\/p>\n
The decision also extends to two other Eldoret-based facilities \u2014 St Luke\u2019s Orthopaedic and Trauma Hospital and Oak Tree Centre for Kidney and Chronic Disease \u2014 which had been affected by the earlier crackdown.<\/p>\n
Despite clearing the hospitals, the committee raised concerns about gaps in Kenya\u2019s regulatory framework governing organ and tissue transplants.<\/p>\n
Lawmakers are now pushing for comprehensive reforms, including the establishment of a national legal structure to oversee transplant services.<\/p>\n
Among key proposals is the creation of a National Organ Transplant Authority, a centralized registry, and a transparent system for organ allocation to ensure fairness and accountability.<\/p>\n
The committee urged the Ministry of Health to fast-track regulations under the Health Act and develop a National Organ Transplant Policy aligned with Universal Health Coverage and global best practices.<\/p>\n
It also recommended enhanced coordination among regulatory agencies through a joint inspection and enforcement framework to curb malpractice and improve compliance.<\/p>\n
On infrastructure, MPs called for increased funding to support specialized care, including fast-tracking the East Africa Centre of Excellence in Urology and Nephrology at Kenyatta National Hospital.<\/p>\n
The facility is expected to play a key role in training transplant specialists and expanding capacity within the next five years.<\/p>\n
Additionally, the committee urged both national and county governments to address the shortage of skilled personnel through a coordinated human resource strategy, while expanding transplant services in public hospitals.<\/p>\n
To make transplant services more accessible, lawmakers recommended that the Ministry of Health, in consultation with the Social Health Authority, review and gazette a benefits package to ensure full coverage for eligible patients.<\/p>\n
They also called for a nationwide public awareness campaign to promote organ donation, tackle cultural and religious misconceptions, and encourage more Kenyans to participate in life-saving donation programs.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
NAIROBI, Kenya Apr 15 \u2013 A parliamentary committee has cleared Mediheal Group of Hospitals of allegations of organ trafficking, bringing to a close month of scrutiny over kidney transplant procedures at its Eldoret facility. In a report tabled before the National Assembly of Kenya on Wednesday, the Departmental Committee on Health found no evidence of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-137888","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","entry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/137888","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=137888"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/137888\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=137888"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=137888"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=137888"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}