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{
    "id": 379195,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/379195/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 183,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Billow",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 260,
        "legal_name": "Billow Adan Kerrow",
        "slug": "billow-kerrow"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Madam Temporary Speaker. I rise to support this Motion. This Motion clearly focuses on professional negligence in the medical profession. There is growing concern with regard to professional negligence in recent times. We read about it very frequently; be it about quacks who are practising or genuine medical professionals who are involved in malpractices or professional misconduct. This issue has raised a lot of concern in recent times. I appreciate the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentist Board which is the regulatory professional body that deals with the conduct of doctors and dentists who have registered with them. This is the same way that all professionals have professional institutions responsible for registering their professionals and looking after their performance and conduct and they have well established codes of conduct including the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentist Board. They have a code of conduct that all members must adhere to. In fact, all others within the professional sectors have it. The concern has been to what extent do professional bodies take action against their members when they breach their professional code of conduct or when they are found to engage in misconduct? I think that has been the main concern. In other parts of the world, if there has been professional negligence by a doctor or by a medical doctor or any other profession, this becomes a legal angle and goes to court. The courts and suits are very expensive in this country. Quite often, you will find that these things are left to professional institutions to handle and that is where the shortcomings are. If you look at the level of complaints that we receive and the actions that are taken, you will see that these do not match. That is where the problem is and that is where you will find a challenge. In this industry, particularly, the medical profession, the situation is worse. Owing to the poor state of public health institutions, there is a tendency across the country by people who are not professionals and those who are professionals to engage in a lot of malpractices. I think this is common. If you go to counties, towns and villages, you will find that the people who are providing services are at times using expired medicine at times. They may not carry out the right diagnosis or even appropriate treatment. You will find that no one is monitoring how many patients are suffering, dying or how many have become victims of this. The study by this Board is quite limited. I appreciate that there is the Medical Practitioners and Dentists Board. This is their responsibility to look into the profession and deal with The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}