Kenya Health Professions Oversight Authority (KHPOA) has approved the recognition, registration and licensing of 16 health professionals in order to ensure that proper structures in healthcare delivery are in place that will safeguard processes that ensure good quality of care is provided to all Kenyans as envisioned in the constitution.
According to Kenya Health Professions Oversight Authority (KHPOA) Board Chair, Dr Amit Thakker, Optometrists, Optometry Technologists, Ophthalmic Opticians and Optical Technicians, Orthopaedic and Trauma Technologists and Technicians, Perioperative Theater Technologists and Technicians, Emergency Medical Technicians, Community Health Officers and Assistants, Medical Engineering Officers, Technologists and Technicians, Mortuary Technicians and Technologists, Orthopaedic Technologists, Speech and Language Therapy Officers, Podiatrists and Sports Health Officers are now recognized, registered and regulated.
Additionally Medical Social Workers, Audiologists, Dental Technologist /Technicians, Healthcare Support Assistants, Paramedics are now recognized and regulated.
“Regulation of health professions is critical for promotion of strong and resilient health systems for quality of care and the realization of Universal Health Coverage (UHC). Effective regulation is expected to protect the public and maintain public confidence in health professions and services provided while ensuring professional ethics and standards are upheld.”
According to Dr Amit, the Authority initiated a mapping, verification and recognition exercise of all unregulated health professionals and identified 42 professional cadres in the health sector.
However, the mapping exercise found out that and only 9 regulatory bodies exist, the remaining 33 had no professional regulatory bodies or mechanisms in place to oversee the quality of training, practice and continuing competence.
“As at now the Authority is remaining with a total of thirteen out of the 42 identified health professional cadres that were not regulated. The cadres awaiting recognition by the Authority include; Medical Microbiologists, Respiratory Therapists, Health Education and Promotion Officers, Occupational Health and Safety Officers, Medical Parasitologist, Sonographers, Cytologists/Embryologists/Andrologist, Physicists, Population Health Officers, Echocardiography Technologists, Neurophysiologists Technologists, Dental Hygienists, Clinical Perfusionists,” Dr Amit told journalists
He added that “the Authority has continued receiving requests from Phlebotomists, Health Administration officers, Biomedical Researchers and Molecular Medicine professional cadres, all of whom are seeking recognition, registration, and licensing.”
The Kenya Health Professions Oversight Authority established by the Health Act 2017 is tasked to maintain a register of all health professionals in Kenya as well as promoting and regulating inter-professional liaison. In addition, the Authority coordinate joint inspections with all regulatory bodies.
The core functions of KHPOA include; maintaining a duplicate register of all health professionals in the public sector; promote and regulate inter-professional liaison between statutory regulatory bodies; coordinate joint inspections with all regulatory bodies; and facilitate dispute resolution mechanisms of complaints from patients, aggrieved parties, and regulatory bodies.
Other functions include continuous monitoring of the execution of respective mandates and functions of regulatory bodies recognized under an Act of Parliament; arbitrate disputes between statutory regulatory bodies, including conflict or dispute resolution amongst Boards and Councils; and ensure regulators do not compromise standards of health delivery.
