A law firm in Nairobi has raised alarm over unsupervised medical practices by medical interns and registrars at a leading city hospital.
Speaking on a phone call with Kenyans.co.ke, an advocate from the law firm claimed that medical students and registrars at the hospital were routinely treating patients without supervision from senior medical staff.
Criticising the hospital, the advocate emphasised that this practice breached medical standards and violated the human and constitutional rights of patients.
The hospital, however, did not respond to the allegations, stating that it had not yet received the letter from the law firm.
Health Cabinet Secretary Deborah Barasa, with Kenyatta National Hospital CEO Dr Evanson Kamuri, interacting with a mother at the hospital, January 16, 2025.
Photo
MoH
The advocate confirmed that the law firm has also written letters to the Hospital’s CEO, Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentist Union(KMPDU), and Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC) to ensure that the issue is resolved without raising the necessity of a court intervention.
“There are three types of students at the hospital: medical students, doctor interns who have just graduated and are waiting to get licensed and the registrars at the market department,” he said.
“The hospital is a teaching hospital so it cannot leave these students unsupervised, they have to be supervised,” he added.
In the letter, dated February 18, 2025, directed to the hospital’s CEO, which was also copied to the KMPDC and KMPDU, the lawyer warned that patients treated by “undertrained or unsupervised” healthcare providers are at risk of suffering from “undignified” medical outcomes.
Furthermore, the advocate noted that allowing unsupervised medical interns to offer treatment could undermine the principle of informed consent if patients are not made aware of the experience level of those treating them.
“With respect to Article 35, every citizen has the right to access information held by the state or any other person. This includes information about who is treating them and their level of expertise,” he said.
The advocate has thus urged the hospital’s CEO to implement policies ensuring that medical interns and registrars are under strict supervision from experienced healthcare workers while performing medical procedures.
He has also stressed the need for the institution to establish protocols that will ensure patients are informed about the experience level of the medical staff involved in their treatment.
Additionally, the advocate has called on the hospital to conduct an audit of the current supervision practices for interns and registrars and to provide a report detailing the steps taken to address the issue within 30 days.
“Failure to address these concerns may lead to further legal action, including but not limited to reporting to relevant health regulatory bodies, initiating lawsuits for negligence, and advocating for systemic change through public and legal channels,” he said.
Doctors attending to a patient
(COURTESY)