Health Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni. Photo/Newsflash
By Georgina Mwikali
The Ministry of Health has ordered the closure of several aesthetic clinics, which were found unfit for public use.
This is after publishing the findings of an extensive investigation into aesthetic clinics and beauty spas in Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru, and Eldoret
This initiative was launched after a tragic incident at Omnicare Medical Limited, where a patient died following a cosmetic procedure. The Ministry, in collaboration with health regulatory agencies, carried out the assessment to ensure that these facilities adhere to safety and licensing standards
The assessment revealed that out of 26 aesthetic clinics assessed, 77% were found to be compliant with operational and licensing standards.
However, three clinics were found to be operating illegally without registration, while another three clinics had applied for registration and were awaiting approval.
In addition, 102 beauty spas were inspected, and seven were found to be offering invasive procedures such as micro-blading and micro-needling without proper registration, qualification, or personnel.
This raised concerns about the safety of such procedures being carried out in an unregulated environment.
Furthermore, 40% of the assessed facilities were found to lack essential emergency medical supplies, and 25% were found to have inadequate infection prevention and control (IPC) measures.
The Ministry has issued several directives in response to these findings.
The Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC) has been instructed to immediately shut down unregistered aesthetic clinics operating illegally.
All facilities that fail to meet IPC standards must comply within 30 days, while those lacking emergency medical provisions must equip their premises with emergency trays within 60 days.
Aesthetic clinics that do not have Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) must develop and implement them within 60 days.
In addition, beauty and medical spas are now prohibited from offering or advertising invasive medical procedures unless they are properly inspected, registered, and licensed as per the established norms and standards.
The government also announced plans to introduce a comprehensive regulatory framework for invasive cosmetic procedures in beauty and medical spas. This move aims to strengthen public protection, safety, and compliance within the industry.
The Ministry of Health is urging the public to seek cosmetic and plastic surgery services only from licensed and qualified practitioners to protect their health and well-being.
As the sector continues to grow, the Ministry remains committed to enforcing stringent regulations to ensure the highest standards of care and patient safety in all health-related services across Kenya.
Health Principal Secretary Mary Muriuki reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to addressing these challenges, prioritising patient safety, and enhancing regulation within the aesthetic and beauty industries.
