Health Ministry to audit transplant centers after organ trafficking allegations
According to Duale, the audits will not only focus on Mediheal but will be extended to seven other transplant centers to ensure that they follow uniform standards.
The Ministry of Health has announced plans to audit Mediheal Hospital in Eldoret and seven other transplant facilities across Kenya after an exposé highlighted potential involvement in organ trafficking.
The announcement comes after findings by a Ministry-led multidisciplinary team that conducted an audit at Mediheal in December 2023.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale confirmed the decision on Tuesday, emphasizing the need for comprehensive checks to ensure compliance with national transplant regulations.
According to Duale, the audits will not only focus on Mediheal but will be extended to seven other transplant centers to ensure that they follow uniform standards.
"The Ministry of Health will conduct a follow-up visit to the facility to assess progress on compliance and to conduct a comprehensive clinical audit. Additionally, similar audits will be extended to all seven transplanting facilities across the country to ensure uniform standards and adherence to national transplant regulations," Duale said.
The audit was prompted by a letter from the Transplantation Society, received by the Ministry on July 20, 2023, which raised concerns over the increasing number of Israeli nationals receiving kidney transplants in Kenya.
Following the letter, an on-site audit was carried out from December 5 to 8.
The audit revealed significant gaps in the transplant program, including violations of health regulations.
It was discovered that Mediheal, a licensed private facility, had performed 372 kidney transplants over a five-year period, with patients from various countries, including Israel, the USA, Japan, Australia, and the UK.
Despite Mediheal's use of modern surgical techniques, including performing 99 percent of surgeries laparoscopically, the audit found that the hospital could not verify the relationship between some donors and recipients.
Additionally, some tests, such as Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) tests, were carried out in India without proper approval from the Ministry of Health.
Duale highlighted other issues, including language barriers between non-English-speaking donors and recipients, as well as the facility's decision to perform high-risk transplants for patients with pre-existing conditions, like prostate cancer.
Moreover, Mediheal did not keep morbidity and mortality reports and lacked multidisciplinary team (MDT) committee meetings.
In response to these findings, the Ministry of Health has outlined plans to develop national transplant service guidelines and a regulatory framework.
"The Ministry of Health to develop a legislative and regulatory framework to safeguard against organ trafficking and transplant tourism. National Standards and Regulatory Frameworks in transplant services will seal legal loopholes that can be exploited to allow for clandestine unregulated transplants," Duale said.
The Ministry also plans to document all participants in the transplant process, including family members, to strengthen the donor recruitment process and consenting.
Another key recommendation from the audit is the establishment of a centralized registry for transplant recipients and donors, particularly foreign nationals, with verified documentation of their relationships.