December 2021 Businessdaily ;Kenya Medical Supplies Authority’s (Kemsa) will lose exclusive rights to supply drugs and medical equipment for county hospitals if Parliament approves proposed legal changes. The move is set to hit Kemsa sales and provide a fertile market for private pharmaceutical firms. The Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (Amendment) …
Read More »New variant classed ‘of concern’ and named Omicron
Nov 2021 BBC; The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a new coronavirus variant to be “of concern” and named it Omicron. It had a large number of mutations, and early evidence suggested an increased reinfection risk, the WHO said. It was first reported to the WHO from South Africa …
Read More »Recruitment of Kenyan medics in UK stopped with immediate effect
November 2021 theStandard :The active recruitment of Kenyan medics in England has been stopped with immediate effect. The UK says the decision has been reached to protect Kenya against shortage of healthcare workers. The Department of Health and Social Care (NHS), however, said already-sealed contracts between the UK and Kenyan …
Read More »KENYA :Hospitals face ban for false NHIF pay claims
October 2021 Businessdaily ;Hospitals and healthcare providers found processing fake claims from the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) will be stripped of their accreditation permanently under changes to the law aimed at protecting the scheme from fraud. The stiff penalty for cheats is contained in the National Hospital Insurance Fund …
Read More »In a First, Surgeons Attached a Pig Kidney to a Human, and It Worked
October 2021 New York times ; Surgeons in New York have successfully attached a kidney grown in a genetically altered pig to a human patient and found that the organ worked normally, a scientific breakthrough that one day may yield a vast new supply of organs for severely ill patients. …
Read More »KENYA :Kenyatta National Hospital To Be Closed For Six Months
October 2021 News ; The country’s and region’s biggest public hospital, the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), will be closed for six months for renovation. Built in 1901, KNH has been the last port of call for patients seeking public health facilities in the country, owing to its superior equipment and …
Read More »KENYA :Ceres maker recalls apple juice over high levels of toxins
October 2021 Businessdaily; South African food and beverage manufacturer Pioneer Foods has recalled its Ceres apple juice brands that sold in Kenya and other Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) countries due to contamination of mould toxins. The recalled brands were detected to have elevated levels of patulin …
Read More »Curfews, poor diet spiked heart diseases during pandemic
October 2021 theStandard ;The impact of Covid-19 on lifestyles has rapidly scaled up cases of cardiovascular diseases and deaths in Kenya, experts have warned. Young people are particularly worse off due to poor dietary choices and limited access to health facilities due to movement restrictions. Speaking during the World Heart Day celebrations …
Read More »MPs pass Bill making NHIF mandatory for all Kenyans
September 2021 Businessdaily ;All Kenyans will be compelled to be members of the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) with employers toping up contributions of those who pay less than Sh500 monthly. MPs last evening approved changes to the NHIF Act, which now makes it compulsory for every Kenyan above 18 …
Read More »KENYA :Court throws out laws limiting top jobs to doctors
September 2021 the standard ;Pharmacists and nurses can now head hospitals after they won a case challenging laws restricting top leadership positions to medical doctors. High Court judge Weldon Korir declared three sections of the Health Act 2017 unconstitutional and discriminatory. The judge also invalidated parts of notes in the first …
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