NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Friday, March 14, 2014

A government watchdog has called on the Department for International Development (DfID) to do more to improve the quality of care at Kenyan health facilities after recording patient complaints of petty corruption and “physical and emotional abuse” by staff.

In a report published on Friday, the Independent Commission for Aid Impact (Icai) said it heard that some patients had been subjected to abuse by health workers while investigating DfID’s contribution to tackling child deaths in the country, which receives millions of pounds in UK aid each year.

“Beneficiaries complained of petty corruption and drugs not being given out, despite being available. They wanted to be treated with respect by health professionals but were often subjected to physical and emotional abuse,” says the report.