President William Ruto has suspended Dr. Swarup Mishra from his position as chair of the Kenya BioVax Institute with immediate effect.
In a statement on Friday, April 18, State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohamed confirmed the President’s decision, citing the gravity of the allegations.
The suspension follows mounting concerns over kidney transplant procedures conducted at Mediheal Hospital and Fertility Centre in Eldoret, a facility founded by Dr. Mishra.
“President William Ruto has today suspended, with immediate effect, Dr Swarup Mishra as chair of the Kenya BioVax institute.
“The suspension shall remain in force pending the outcome of investigations into serious allegations of unethical and illegal activities involving kidney transplant procedures at Mediheal Hospital and Fertility Centre in Eldoret,” the statement read.
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Mishra was appointed as the Chairperson of the Board of Directors for Kenya Biovax Institute Limited on November 22, 2024.
Kenya Biovax Institute, established in 2021 under the Ministry of Health, is tasked with manufacturing, packaging, and commercializing specialized health products and technologies, including vaccines and therapeutics.
On Thursday, April 17, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has issued five fresh directives over alleged organ trafficking at Eldoret's Mediheal Hospital.
The new directives include the appointment of an independent expert committee to conduct an audit of kidney transplant services at Mediheal over the past five years.
According to Duale, the committee will compromise of professionals from both public and private health institutions, professional associations and regulatory bodies.
“I am appointing an independent committee of transplant experts, drawn from public and private health facilities, professional associations, and relevant regulatory bodies to undertake a comprehensive audit of all kidney transplant services at the Mediheal Group of Hospitals for the past five (5) years, with a focus on governance, clinical practices, ethical compliance, and patient safety protocols.
"The committee will be expected to submit its report within 90 days from the date of appointment. This action is necessitated by the fact that the report of the December 2023 probe team was neither formally submitted to the Ministry nor unanimously endorsed by its members,” the statement read.
Additionally, Duale directed the immediate suspension of kidney transplant procedures at Mediheal Group of Hospitals.
The CS advised all patients currently receiving or seeking transplant-related care at Mediheal to redirect to other authorized transplant centers.
“All patients currently receiving or seeking transplant-related services at Mediheal are advised to seek care at the following eight licensed kidney transplant facilities: Kenyatta National Hospital, Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, Aga Khan University Hospital, M.P. Shah Hospital, Nairobi Hospital, St. Luke's Hospital- Eldoret, Nairobi West Hospital, and Mater Hospital,” the statement added.
