Ruai Family Hospital license reinstated, suspended as vaccination center
The Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council has reinstated the operating license of Ruai Family Hospital hours after revoking it.
This was after the hospital owners were on Tuesday ordered to present themselves to the KMPDC disciplinary and Ethics committee after the council revoked the license of RFH.
According to KMPDC Chief Executive Officer Daniel Yumbya, the council’s Ethics and Disciplinary committee had found that RFH nurse Ruth Matitika took 144 doses of the Covid-19 vaccine and handed them to one Caroline Kinyanjui.
“Ruth Matika admitted to taking 144 doses of Covid-19 vaccines and handed them to Caroline Kinyanjui, the alleged Business Development Manager, outside the hospital premises on the evening of Friday, August 27, 2021, until when they reconvened at 11 am the following day Saturday 28 August, 2021, when they carried out the vaccination exercise in Murang’a county,” stated the council.
The committee also found that the hospital however reported the doses missing on August 29, 2021 at 8:34pm.
However, the hospital has been suspended as Covid-19 vaccination centre.
KMPDC further demanded an audit of the vaccines given to the public within 14 days, and referred the matter to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to probe the actions of Ruth Mutitika and Caroline Kinyanjui.
The said employee served as Health Care Manager for RFH Specialist Hospital and had been directly overseeing the Covid-19 vaccination exercise and was the key custodian of the vaccines.
The hospital maintains the nurse was not sanctioned by the hospital or its leadership.
According to KMPDC, the hospital, which is designated as a Covid-19 Vaccination Centre, had diverted vaccines to other unauthorised premises.
“The hospital diverted vaccines meant for use at the said facility under unclear circumstances to other unauthorized premises, and carried out the vaccination exercises in uncontrolled environment, wherein the quality and efficacy of vaccines cannot be ascertained and thus endangering public safety,” stated the council.
The council had directed the hospital to close immediately and in consultation with patients and relatives organize to transfer all the in-patients to other facilities of their choice within the next 24 hours.
The Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe directed the council to deregister all facilities charging for Covid-19 vaccination.
Kagwe said that administration of vaccines should be done by qualified staff who have received recent training from the ministry.
He noted that some health facilities are charging for administering vaccines instead of giving the jab for free.
“…It’s immoral and disturbing to see some politicians have begun to politicise the vaccination process for their own gains. We ask KMPDC to immediately begin to deregister institutions that are charging citizens or conducting the vaccinations unlawfully,” he said.
