Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to establish the perception of health care practitioners on dual practice in Kenya.
The current study adopted the descriptive method of study. The study targeted all health care practitioners from the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC) doctors’ retention register. The selection was scientifically guided using Fishers’ formula (Fisher, 1956; Fisher, 1962). Data collected was primary and qualitative in nature. The data was collected using semi-structured interview guide. The collection involved issuing out the interviews via emails to the respondents and consistent follow-ups made. Qualitative data collected from the field was analyzed using content analysis which involved identification of recurring themes, patterns, or concepts and then describing and interpreting those categories. The analysis was aided by use of Excel 2016. Furthermore, the coded data was presented by use of themes, frequencies, percentages, averages, or standard deviations, among others.
The findings revealed that dual practice among Kenyan health care providers is prevalent. Many of the healthcare providers fear losing their public health jobs. As such they carry out dual practice secretly without their public health employers’ knowledge. It has likewise been concluded that holding of private jobs alongside public jobs in the health sector is influenced by various internal factors such as organizational resources, Income Public healthcare effectiveness and working environment. However, the extent of the influence is strong with respect to organizational resources effectiveness of public healthcare and working environment. Income being among the factors has been regarded as a weak influencer compared to the organizational factors. The study therefore concludes that most of Kenyan health care providers engage in dual practice due to the unwelcoming working environment and ineffective public health care facilities. It has also been noted that there is no legally binding contractual framework that optimizes the physician’s dual practice. The study thus concludes that the Kenyan legally framework is weak and thus the physicians have little faith in the existing framework since it is not legally binding.
