MPs probe 'Body by Design' clinic after woman's death in botched surgery
The National Assembly during a past session.
What you need to know:
- Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council is investigating circumstances that led to the incident.
- The patient had checked into the facility and was discharged on 22 October, only to die four days later.
The National Assembly has launched an investigation into the Body by Design clinic following a botched operation that led to the death of Lucy Ng'ang'a.
The Health Committee will investigate the incidents that led to Ng'ang'a's death and present its findings within two weeks.
The inquiry follows a statement on the floor of Parliament by Dagoretti North MP Beatrice Elachi, who called for the committee to investigate not only the circumstances that led to the death, but also whether other clinics offering the same services in the country were licensed.
Ms Elachi wants the committee, chaired by Endebes MP Robert Pukose, to confirm whether Body by Design, which carried out the botched operation, was duly registered with the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council and what specific medical services it provides.
In addition, Ms Elachi wants the committee to find out the qualifications of the doctors who carried out the procedures on Ms Ng'ang'a, what measures have been taken to ensure quality assurance and compliance with standards by clinics across the country, and what measures are being taken to prevent similar incidents in the future.
"This is not the first time that a woman has lost her life due to a surgical mishap, many clinics engage in this practice and attract clients through online advertisements that showcase a wider range of services such as breast augmentation and reduction, leg shaping and hair restoration among others," Ms Elachi said.
Ms Elachi noted that it was worrying that the facility was closed shortly after the botched surgery, raising questions about whether it was operating legally.
Dr Pukose regretted that there were a number of clinics mushrooming in the country offering services for which they were not accredited.
"Breast reduction and augmentation and other cosmetic surgeries should be offered by doctors who are qualified and approved by the Kenya Medical and Dental Council who should be held accountable because that is their responsibility," said Dr Pukose.
"They must be able to control such doctors because unsuspecting Kenyans may unknowingly go to these facilities but end up being mishandled and losing their lives," he added.
Kitui South MP Rachael Nyamai said the committee needs to get a list of doctors who can perform these cosmetic surgeries without endangering people's lives.
She pointed out that many people are suffering because they have gone to the doctors to get a list of these doctors.
Following the death of Lucy Ng'ang'a at the city's cosmetic surgery clinic, the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC) launched an investigation into the circumstances that led to the incident.
The patient, the wife of city businessman Francis Ng'ang'a Mundia, had checked into the facility and was discharged on 22 October, only to die four days later after a botched operation.
The facility, licensed as Omnicare medical Ltd and operating as Body by Design, has since been closed down by the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC) for failing to meet minimum standards required for operation.
smundu@ke.nationmedia.com