The Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC) has warned doctors against allowing other people to use their professional credentials to obtain healthcare approvals or payments, saying they risk disciplinary action, loss of their practising licences and possible civil or criminal liability.

🇰🇪 Breaking It Down

In a circular issued on Tuesday, September 22, the council said doctors could be held personally responsible if their registration numbers, practising licences, official stamps or signatures are used by another person to obtain approval from the Social Health Authority (SHA), insurers or other healthcare payers.

KMPDC also warned doctors against allowing their credentials to be used to falsely indicate that they performed a medical procedure when it was actually carried out by another person.

The council said doctors who allow their credentials to be used for pre-authorisation, billing or related purposes could face disciplinary proceedings, including suspension or cancellation of their registration or practising licence.

📌 What You Need to Know

“Any practitioner who allows another person to use their credentials for pre-authorisation, billing, or related purposes shall be held personally liable,” the council stated.

KMPDC added that such conduct could amount to professional misconduct or fraud, potentially exposing the practitioner to civil or criminal liability.

The directive placed responsibility on both individual practitioners and health institutions to ensure that professional credentials are not used by others to secure healthcare approvals and that medical procedures are performed by authorised personnel.

KMPDC cautioned institutions against facilitating the misuse of practitioners’ credentials in connection with pre-authorisation, billing or related healthcare transactions.

Additionally, health facilities have been warned that they could face regulatory sanctions if they allow unqualified personnel to perform major invasive procedures, including suspension or cancellation of a facility’s licence.

KMPDC reiterated that major invasive procedures must only be performed by registered practitioners who are licensed and operating within the scope of their authorisation.

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke