Verification, Sources & Patient Guidance

Why does every line on a profile carry a source tag?

Anyone can publish a webpage claiming specific qualifications or roles for a doctor. To protect public accuracy, we never store a statement without also citing where it originated and what type of institution verified it.

A regulatory licence, an accredited college fellowship, an employer appointment, an unverified web directory, and a practitioner's personal website represent very different levels of evidence. The small tag on each line informs the reader of the exact evidentiary weight behind that specific statement.

Most decisions about a clinician's professional standing happen between colleagues through referrals, hospital privileges, operating schedules, and peer reviews. Little of that is accessible to the public. The role of this registry is to transparently present checkable, public evidence — licensing, formal credentials, verified appointments, peer-reviewed publications, and teaching posts — rather than an opaque rating or score.

What are the source levels and how are they ranked?

Everything found on the web starts at level web. A claim moves up only when the source that makes it is recognised: the employer, university or college appears in official_institutions.json, the college publishes a directory naming the holder, or a licensing authority publishes the record. A claim never moves up because it sounds plausible.

In descending order of evidentiary strength: license › college › institution › web › self.

A web source is an unverified third party (such as a news article, NGO list, or directory), and self denotes a practitioner speaking about themselves on their personal website or social profile. Both are shown for transparency, but both indicate an unconfirmed claim rather than a verified institutional record.

1. Licence license
   Issuing body: the body that issues the licence to practise. Examples: KMPDC (Kenya), GMC (United Kingdom).
   What it proves: the doctor is registered and licensed, and the specialty on the register is the one the council recognises.
   Its limit: registration numbers are masked, and the register does not record fellowships, appointments, or daily practice.
2. College college
   Issuing body: a professional college that awards fellowships and publishes a directory. Examples: ACS, COSECSA, RCR, CIRSE, CMSA.
   What it proves: the college awarded the credential and, where it publishes a directory, names the holder.
   Its limit: a fellowship is a qualification, not a licence. Some colleges publish a directory, some do not: ACS does, the Royal College of Radiologists does not.
3. Recognised institution institution
   Issuing body: a recognised employer, university or training body from the official list. Examples: Aga Khan University Hospital, University of Nairobi, Moi University.
   What it proves: the organisation states the appointment, rank, department or training on its own page.
   Its limit: authoritative about its own appointment, not about the person's whole career.
4. Unrecognised web source web
   Issuing body: a third-party page from an organisation that is not on the official list. Examples: Programme and NGO pages, directories, listicles, aggregators.
   What it proves: that a third party published the claim. Nothing more.
   Its limit: treated as a red flag. A plausible site with a project page takes an afternoon to build, so the claim stays low until a recognised source repeats it.
5. Self-claimed self
   Issuing body: the practitioner. Examples: A personal practice website, LinkedIn, a social profile.
   What it proves: what the practitioner says about themselves. Often accurate, and often the only public record of a real detail.
   Its limit: nobody checked it and anyone can publish a clinic website today. A red flag when it is the only support a claim has.
6. Literature literature
   Issuing body: indexed publishing records. Examples: PubMed, Crossref, a journal, ORCID, Google Scholar.
   What it proves: the person is an author of the cited work, with the role and year the index shows.
   Its limit: it proves authorship, not employment, a licence, or a current appointment.

What does it mean when a profile shows a web or self tag?

Treat it as an uncorroborated claim rather than a confirmed fact. web means a third party we cannot independently vouch for published the claim: an NGO project page, an interview, a hospital listicle, or an external directory. self means the doctor published the statement themselves.

Neither tag implies council verification or institutional peer endorsement. The claim remains classified at this level until an officially recognised regulatory or institutional source corroborates it.

Why is the same doctor listed as General Surgery on the register but called a vascular surgeon elsewhere?

Those represent two distinct statements from different sources. The row tagged kmpdc reflects the practitioner's official board certification in the national register. The row tagged self or web reflects how the clinician and their hospital position their clinical practice.

Subspecialised fellowships (such as vascular surgery, paediatric cardiology, or interventional radiology) are often completed after a primary Master of Medicine degree. Both entries are displayed side by side so patients and referring doctors can see both the statutory register classification and the clinician's active subspecialty focus.

A doctor's own website claims they are the leading specialist in the region. Can I trust it?

No, and we do not present self-promotional marketing as verified fact. A self tag indicates promotional positioning by the practitioner, which provides clinical context but does not constitute evidence.

It remains visible on the profile only because omitting it would conceal the doctor's own published statements; the source tag ensures readers can evaluate its weight objectively.

Why is part of the registration number masked?

KMPDC publishes the national register with middle digits masked, for example A8**4. This is deliberate public-interest privacy protection: it enables verification of identity while preventing the number from being harvested for medical impersonation or fraud. A practitioner can still be searched and confirmed by full name, licence category, and status.

Why does a profile have almost nothing on it?

Because no independently verified institutional data has been identified beyond the primary KMPDC register record. Most records in the national register exist in this baseline state. We prefer presenting a concise, verified record over populating profiles with unverified claims from internet directories.

How can I verify a doctor's credentials myself independently?

You do not need this website to check a doctor. Here is the verified procedure to follow:

1. Start at KMPDC: Open registers.kmpdc.go.ke and search the practitioner's name. Confirm that the licence status is active and that the registered specialty matches what is being claimed. Be sure to check both the general and specialist registers.
2. Match full legal names: Official register entries often include full family names. For instance, a doctor publishing clinically as Naushad Karim may be registered under Naushad Hassan Karim Sokwalla. Search alternative name combinations before drawing conclusions.
3. Verify the credential with the awarding body: Check the public directory of the awarding college. For example, the American College of Surgeons publishes an open search at facs.org/find-a-surgeon. For UK qualifications, check the General Medical Council (GMC) register. If a body does not maintain a public register, request written verification from the hospital's medical administration.
4. Confirm active hospital privileges: Call the hospital's main switchboard or medical director's office to confirm that the clinician actively operates or attends patients at that facility today.
5. Verify research affiliations: Search author publications on PubMed to confirm that peer-reviewed articles cite the hospital and department claimed.
6. Disregard promotional listicles: Commercial "Top 10 Doctors" guides frequently represent sponsored advertising rather than clinical evaluation.

Warning indicators: Absence from the KMPDC register; a specialty supported solely by uncorroborated web claims; qualifications from institutions with no published physical address or directory; an expired or suspended licence; or an alleged hospital affiliation not acknowledged by the facility.

Which medical credentials can I actually check myself?

Public accessibility varies widely across medical colleges and boards. Some maintain searchable public registers, others release records only by email inquiry, and some do not disclose membership lists. Below is the tested status across key credentials:

Last audited 2026-10-28. If a credentialing body establishes a public registry, we update our verification ledger accordingly.

What do qualifications like FACS, FRCR, and FCS (ECSA) mean?

FACS denotes Fellowship of the American College of Surgeons. It is conferred following surgical residency, board certification, and peer review. The College publishes a public registry of international and domestic Fellows.

FRCR denotes Fellowship of the Royal College of Radiologists (UK). It is awarded after passing the multi-part specialty examinations. The College does not maintain a public fellows register; verification is typically conducted via the UK General Medical Council for doctors licensed in Britain.

FCS (ECSA) denotes Fellowship of the College of Surgeons of East, Central and Southern Africa, the primary regional surgical training college. While COSECSA does not operate an open fellow database, approved qualifications are submitted to and recorded by KMPDC in the national register.

Can I verify a university medical degree independently?

Degree verification depends on the specific university's public documentation policies:

University of Nairobi publishes official graduation booklets: UoN indexes ceremony booklets back to December 2011 at uonbi.ac.ke/uon-graduation-booklets. These PDFs record graduands by programme, allowing MBChB degrees from 2011 onward to be confirmed by name.

Moi University publishes recent ceremony lists: Moi provides graduands lists for recent convocations at graduation.mu.ac.ke. Older lists are accessible through digital archives (such as the December 2020 School of Medicine records on the Wayback Machine).

National qualification registries: The Kenya National Qualifications Authority maintains a portal at nqd.knqa.go.ke requiring an account. The Commission for University Education (CUE) evaluates foreign qualifications on application. For domestic degrees requiring formal proof, written verification through the university academic registrar remains the authoritative method.

Where do I find disciplinary action or complaints against a doctor in Kenya?

Kenya currently publishes no centralised, searchable public database of medical disciplinary findings or sanctions.

KMPDC operates a Disciplinary and Ethics Committee and accepts public complaints at kmpdc.go.ke/for-public, but does not publish a register of past suspensions or reprimands. Regulatory actions occasionally surface via official KMPDC press statements, medical association releases, or High Court appeals published in the public law reports at Kenya Law.

By contrast, regulatory bodies like the UK General Medical Council or US state medical boards publish formal fitness-to-practise decisions. Because Kenya does not provide an equivalent open database, the absence of a disciplinary note does not imply a reviewed history, and this registry does not claim regulatory clearance.

If you have concerns regarding professional misconduct, lodge a formal inquiry directly with KMPDC.

Beyond credentials, how do I judge whether a doctor is right for me?

A registry confirms qualifications, regulatory status, and institutional appointments. It cannot measure clinical judgement, communication clarity, or how a practitioner responds to surgical complications. We recommend asking five questions in the consultation room:

• Procedure volume: How many times do you perform this specific procedure per month, and at which hospital? High procedural volume in a well-equipped centre correlates directly with improved outcomes.
• Conservative alternatives: What are the non-surgical or conservative options, and what happens if we delay or decline surgery? A clinician should clearly explain the benefits and risks of non-intervention.
• Complications and rescue plans: What are the most frequent complications, what is your personal complication rate, and who manages post-operative complications at night and on weekends?
• Financial transparency: Do you or the hospital have a financial interest in the specific implant, device, or facility being recommended? Ask for a complete, itemised quotation in writing.
• The personal test: What treatment course would you recommend to a member of your immediate family in this exact clinical scenario?

Kenya does not publish clinician-level outcome statistics or complication registries. Personal evaluation during consultation remains essential.

Do I need a second opinion before a major medical procedure?

Yes. Seeking an independent second opinion before elective surgery or significant invasive intervention is standard, prudent medical practice. An initial consultation represents a minor expense compared to the physical, emotional, and financial impact of an operation or unexpected complication.

When two independent specialists review the same diagnostic imaging and recommend the same course of action, it provides meaningful reassurance. When their recommendations differ, it highlights critical questions to clarify before proceeding.

Obtain the second opinion from a specialist in an unaffiliated medical practice, and request an objective review of your diagnostic imaging and clinical history before disclosing the initial clinician's recommendation.

How do I compare hospital and procedure prices without being misled?

Always request a comprehensive, itemised quotation rather than a single lump-sum figure. Ensure the estimate explicitly itemises:

• Primary surgeon and assistant surgeon fees
• Anaesthetist fees
• Operating theatre time and consumable charges
• Implant and prosthetic hardware costs
• Ward accommodation, high-dependency, or ICU days
• In-hospital pharmaceuticals and diagnostic imaging
• Post-operative consultations and management of potential complications

Compare identical procedure specifications across facilities. A lower surgeon fee accompanied by higher theatre hourly rates or costly implant markups can result in a significantly higher final bill. The registry's procedure fee directory indexes 2,002 published reference fees to help benchmark expected costs.

What is a recognised institution, and which hospitals and universities qualify?

A page is cited at institution level only when the organisation appears in this list. Anything else on the web is level web: a research lead that is never displayed as a source. Organisations that look like NGOs, projects or programmes are not listed by default, because a plausible site with a project page takes an afternoon to build. Add an organisation only after confirming that it is a real, identifiable body with named responsibility for what it publishes.

A claim reaches the institution level only when the employer or university is verified in our published institutions registry. Third-party listings and unverified project websites remain classified under web.

What is the editorial policy and independence of this registry?

This is an independent public-interest data project. It does not sell profile placement, does not accept remuneration from practitioners or healthcare facilities, and does not provide subjective rankings.

Information is not altered or removed because it is unflattering. Data corrections are applied solely upon submission of verifiable, authoritative evidence from recognised regulatory or institutional bodies.

Submit a record correctioni

What does this website not do?

This registry does not provide medical advice, does not recommend individual practitioners or treatments, and does not rank doctors subjectively. Every profile presents transparent, checkable evidence so patients and colleagues can form informed, independent judgements.