The Clinical Officers Council of Kenya (COC) is a government agency – a corporate body created by the Clinical Officers (Training, Registration and Licensing) Act no. 20 of 2017 – Laws of Kenya whose work is to supervise and control the training and professional practice of medicine, dentistry, orthopaedics and health work by clinical officers and to register and license clinics and medical centres. A person who is registered by the Clinical Officers Council is entitled to render medical services in any approved institution and may, with respect to patients, examine, diagnose, order laboratory and imaginginvestigations, prescribe treatment and perform procedures as per their scope of training.
History
Historically styled after the United Examining Board which could award GMC-registrable diplomas known as the Conjoint and Triple Qualification to university and non-university-trained doctors in the UK between 1884 and 2007, this new Kenyanlegislation is a modern law which came into effect in 2017 after repealing of an old act and has been updated (by court order and under the Health Laws (amendment) Act No. 5 of 2019) to align with Universal Health Care and to comply with the country's constitutional and legal requirements.
Functions
The functions of the Clinical Officers Council are to:
advise the government on policy matters relating to clinical medicine practice
prescribe the minimum educational entry requirements for persons wishing to be trained as clinical officers
approve institutions other than those established or accredited under the Universities Act, 2012 for the training of clinical officers
establish, approve and accredit programs for continuing professional educational programs
register and license clinical officers for the purposes of this Act
maintain a register and records of all clinical officers registered under this Act
cause to be published in the Kenya Gazette every calendar year the names of all registered clinical officers
promote development and adoption of codes of practice
regulate the professional conduct and ensure the maintenance and improvement of the standards of practice of clinical medicine
collaborate with other medical professional associations, organisations and other relevant bodies, in the furtherance of the functions of the council and those bodies
consider and deal with any other matter pertaining to clinical officers including prescribing badges, insignias or uniforms to be worn by clinical officers and
carry out other functions related to the implementation of this Act.
Members
The clinical officers council is made up of the following members:
A chairperson who is appointed by the President and has (i) a relevant bachelor's degree from a recognised university (ii) at least ten years' relevant experience and (iii) is registered as a clinical officer under this Act
The Director General for health or his or her designated representative
