Kenyans Warned Against Three Facilities Claiming to Offer Home-Based ICU Care for COVID-19 Patients

The Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council has taken disciplinary action against three institutions that claimed to offer home-based ICU services for COVID-19 patients.

The council warned Kenyans against taking up the services of Apex Home Healthcare, Utunzaji Home and Nursing Care, and Wholistic Nursing Care.

The three facilities had published adverts claiming to offer home-based ICU care for COVID-19 patients at a prescribed fee, with Apex charging Sh15,000 daily for a minimum of 10 days while Wholistic quoted Sh10,000 per day.

In a statement on Friday, the CEO of the council Daniel Yumbya said the three facilities are not registered, adding that their adverts are misleading since it is not possible to offer ICU care at home.

“The Council wishes to advise members of the public to TAKE CAUTION that the above-mentioned institutions have not been registered by any of the regulatory bodies and their advertisements are misleading and geared towards obtaining money by false pretense,” reads the statement.

The council ordered the three institutions to pull down the advertisements and pay a fine of Sh500,000 each within the next 14 days.

“Intensive care is specialized treatment provided by trained health professionals who include medical specialists, critical care nurses, Pharmacists among others. Further, the equipment used in ICU care includes the following and other medical consumables; ICU bed with a flexible mattress, uninterrupted Oxygen supply, Ventilator, blood gas analyzer, patient monitor, infusion pumps, defibrillator, and trained critical care staff,” adds the council.