Private hospitals could be the main enablers of the unlawful organ trafficking that has been making headlines in Kenya, according to the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Union (KMPDU).
KMPDU believes that the recent surge in organ trafficking is linked to the hiring policies and unethical practices within private healthcare facilities.
The union has called for an investigation into the licensing and recruitment of foreign medical practitioners, expressing concerns about how private hospitals may be coercing foreign doctors into conducting such unlawful practices.
Additionally, KMPDU urged the government to take action, stating that it tarnishes the country's image to allow foreign doctors to work in Kenya while many qualified Kenyan health professionals remain unemployed.
"We stand firmly against this profit-driven practice that exploits vulnerable migrant workers," said KMPDU Secretary General Dr Davji Atellah.
"It is an insult that qualified Kenyan medical professionals remain unemployed while foreign doctors are recruited under questionable conditions," he added.
The union further called on the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC) to audit the recruitment practices of private institutions.
Additionally, it demanded to know how foreign doctors are hired, whether their qualifications are properly verified, and what services they are providing in the country.
''The now-confirmed unlawful, unethical, and dangerous trafficking of organs is directly linked to the non-transparent and dubious licensing and recruitment of foreign medical practitioners,'' Atellah added.
Atellah revealed that over 1,655 foreign doctors, primarily from Asia, are practising in Kenya, mainly in the private hospitals, as over 4,000 medical practitioners remain unemployed.
The developments come against the backdrop of a case where the Mediheal hospital made international headlines following an investigation by DW in collaboration with fellow German public broadcaster ZDF and Der Spiegel, which uncovered an international network of organ donors and recipients coordinated by brokers.
With the exposé sparking public concern, the National Assembly Health Committee on Tuesday launched an 80-day public inquiry into the allegations. The DCI also announced that its elite Transnational Organised Crime Unit (TOCU) would take over the case.
