Kenyan authorities have declared a 30-day nationwide crackdown on medical spas operating illegally following a botched cosmetic surgery that led to the death of a woman.
Public Health and Professional Standards Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni announced the raid on unethical facilities that were putting the lives of Kenyans at risk.
In a letter seen by Nation, the PS has instructed the CEO of the Kenya Health Professional Oversight Authority (KHPOA), Dr Jackson Kioko, to coordinate a thorough assessment of facilities and submit a comprehensive report within 30 days.
"The Ministry of Health is concerned about the death of Ms Lucy Wambui who passed on while undergoing a plastic surgery procedure at Omnicare Medical Limited, operating as ‘Body By Design’, in Nairobi County,” Ms Muthoni said.
She noted investigations by the Kenya Medical and Pharmacists Dentists Council (KMPDC) revealed serious malpractices and non-compliance with health standards.
Chief government pathologist Dr Johansen Oduor, who conducted a post-mortem on the body, told Nation.Africa Wednesday that Ms Wambui died as a result of acute pneumonia that affected her lungs.
It was most likely caused by a bacterial infection that was left untreated for a week, Dr Oduor added.
Complications
Ms Wambui's family says that within days of the procedure, she started experiencing complications including abdominal pain, chest pains and difficulty breathing.
But despite the complications, including the pneumonia diagnosis, Body By Design reportedly discharged her on October 22.
“The facility told us that they had treated her for para pneumonic pleural effusion, which most likely came as a result of a bacterial infection she got while undergoing liposuction. That was a week ago before her death,” Dr Oduor said.
He, however, clarified that when they conducted the autopsy, they found no signs of parapneumonic pleural effusion.
“This is the second time I am seeing a Kenyan die as a result of a botched liposuction procedure. We had an almost similar case about 10 years ago in another medical spa in Nairobi,” Dr Oduor said.
Liposuction, is a type of cosmetic surgery that removes unwanted fat from certain parts of the body. After breaking the fat down, the fat is then suctioned out of the body.
Besides liposuction, other popular cosmetic procedures available in the country include tummy tucks, brazilian butt lift, breast reduction and augmentation.
