Hospitals Disclose Treatment of Foreign Patients in Ongoing Organ Transplant Probe

A parliamentary inquiry has been launched into three Kenyan hospitals, including Mediheal Group of Hospitals, over allegations of illegal organ harvesting and kidney transplants performed on foreign nationals.

The investigation, conducted by the National Assembly’s Health Committee, focuses on claims that kidney transplants were carried out on Somali patients, with some procedures funded by the now-defunct National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF). During a hearing in Eldoret on 28 August, hospital officials confirmed that five Somali patients had received transplants at Mediheal, prompting concerns about the transparency of donor sources and the legality of these cross-border treatments.

Endebess MP Robert Pukose, a committee member, questioned hospital representatives on whether foreign patients had been treated and requested detailed information about the donors. Mediheal’s medical officer explained that donor-recipient matching was handled by a separate specialist institution under a memorandum of understanding. The officer added that most donors were reportedly blood relatives of the recipients, although supporting documentation is still being verified.

The committee has demanded full records including nationality, identification, and contact details of both donors and recipients. Preliminary reports from one hospital revealed 34 kidney transplants, with some patients experiencing complications such as surgical rejection, bleeding requiring further surgery, and one donor suffering acute kidney injury but later recovering. There have also been reports of patient deaths following surgery, though hospital officials deny any malpractice.

Hospital representatives defended their procedures, stating compliance with Kenyan laws including the Health Act 2017, the Human Tissues Act, and the Data Protection Act. They maintained that all transplants were performed with informed consent and in accordance with ethical standards of autonomy and justice. However, they admitted that follow-up care and coordination between institutions were sometimes inadequate.