City Surgeon Pays Dearly for Fake Coronavirus Kits

Dr Pranav Pancholi the founder of Avané Dermatology Clinic performs a procedure on a patient.
Dr Pranav Pancholi the founder of Avané Dermatology Clinic performs a procedure on a patient.
Daily Nation

Pranav Pancholi, owner of Avane Cosmetic Dermatology Clinic has been fined Ksh 500,000 after his clinic put out a fake advertisement on Coronavirus testing kits.

Citizen Digital on Saturday, March 21 reported that the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Board (KMPDB) had found Pancholi guilty of gross misconduct, further adding his clinic lacked a valid licence.

“Dr Pancholi is hereby admonished for allowing his institution to publish a deceitful, erroneous and misleading advertisement,” KMPDB Chairperson Eva Njenga stated.

Pravan Mahendra Pancholi and Sylvia Ndinda Kalevi at Milimani Law Courts on Saturday, March 21, 2020.
Pravan Mahendra Pancholi and Sylvia Ndinda Kalevi at Milimani Law Courts on Saturday, March 21, 2020.
Citizen Digital

Pancholi's clinic had claimd to sell Coronavirus rapid test kits, that could be used in self-testing as well as early diagnosis of the Covid-19 virus.

The clinic had advertised the kits at Ksh 3,000 each, alleging that from a stock of 1,000 kits only 400 were left.

On Monday, March 16, KMPDB officials raided Pancholi's clinic where they seized promotional material advertising the kits, but there were no signs of the kits in the premises.

At the time of the raid, the dermatologist was not at the clinic but later surrendered to the authorities.

“It was noted that Dr Pancholi has already paid USD 3,750 (Ksh 397,575) for the importation of the said kits which were to be delivered to his facility,” the statement by KMPDB reads in part.

The council further stated that 12 women working at the facility had no medical background

One of the women, since identified as Sylvia Ndinda Kalevi, was caught performing a non-invasive procedure.

The board has since moved to have Pancholi's medical licence revoked for six months as well as his clinic's operation licence.

Pancholi, along with Kalevi was charged with illicitly sanctioning, designing and publishing a fake advert.

He was charged with a second count of running an unlicensed and unregistered medical facility while Kalevi was charged with conducting procedures without proper training.

They both denied the charges and were released on a Ksh 150,000 bail each. 

President Uhuru Kenyatta along with Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has often warned against businesspeople raking profits from the Coronavirus pandemic.