Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has drawn a line in the sand, accusing government doctors who work in private clinics during official hours of committing fraud against the Kenyan people. In a stern warning, Duale announced that from January, the ministry will roll out strict digital measures to track and punish clinicians who abandon their public posts for personal gain.

This crackdown targets a deep-rooted issue that directly impacts ordinary Kenyans: excruciatingly long waits for care in public hospitals, while the same doctors are allegedly available for swift, private consultations. The government's move signals a potential shake-up in how healthcare is delivered and monitored, aiming to restore accountability in a system many feel is failing them.

A System of Diverted Patients

Speaking in Tharaka Nithi County, CS Duale painted a grim picture of the current reality for many patients. He cited Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), a facility with 26 operating theatres, where patients are often given surgery dates months away. Shockingly, Duale alleged, some of these desperate patients are then approached by associates of the same doctors and offered next-day procedures at private hospitals.

"It has become so rampant that doctors working in Government facilities are opting to send patients to private facilities they are operating in," Duale stated, emphasizing that this denies public hospitals revenue and patients the services they are entitled to. Tharaka Nithi Governor Muthomi Njuki, who hosted the CS, echoed these concerns, accusing some doctors of using public hospitals as mere "retention grounds" to funnel patients to their private businesses.

The Digital Watchdog Unleashed

The government's primary weapon in this new fight is technology. CS Duale has directed the newly formed Digital Health Authority to flag any medical claims submitted from a private facility by a doctor during their gazetted 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. public working hours. "From January, the system will automatically block payments for claims signed for services rendered outside a doctor's registered employment," he warned.

This move aims to create a transparent digital trail, making it difficult for the practice to continue undetected. The debate over dual practice is not new. Regulations discussed as far back as 2019 required doctors to get clearance from their public employer before engaging in private work, but enforcement has remained a challenge.

An Unsettled Debate

While the government's stance is firm, the issue is complex. The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists' Union (KMPDU) has historically defended its members' right to private practice, arguing that clauses attempting to bar it are unconstitutional. The underlying drivers for this practice often point to systemic issues within the public health sector, including underfunding, resource shortages, and concerns over doctors' remuneration and working conditions.

Kenya's doctor-to-patient ratio remains critically strained, far exceeding the World Health Organization's recommendations, which places immense pressure on the existing workforce. Critics of the government's approach argue that without addressing these core challenges, a crackdown on moonlighting may be a temporary fix for a much deeper problem.

As January approaches, patients and medical professionals alike will be watching closely. The government's digital dragnet could either begin a new era of accountability in public health or ignite fresh tensions between the ministry and the doctors it employs, leaving the Kenyan patient waiting for a lasting cure to the system's ailments.