Kenya bans people with high blood pressure from driving
News & Trends •
source63 kenyan has taken far reaching steps to stop people with some health conditions including high blood pressure from driving1 the countrys national transport and safety authority ntsa released the new driving curriculum with recommendation of mandatory medical tests for epilepsy high blood pressure sight and hearing problems for all drivers1 according to the new curriculum drivers are supposed to renew their licences every 10 years and only after submitting a medical report1 however motorists above 60 years must submit a medical report every year1 the medical tests will also include a range of brain-related conditions and diseases that disable mobility and muscle movement such as stroke1 in the curriculum eye conditions lead a long list of mandatory medical tests for new drivers as well as old ones seeking licence renewals1 according to ntsa deputy director in charge of safety dr duncan kibogong some conditions will lead to automatic disqualification1 for epilepsy it is a no. the fact is no one including the driver has any idea when the seizures can occur said dr kibogong1 the medical tests will also include the drivers heart condition as well as sleep alcohol and drug-related disorders1 the tests will also look out for a drivers susceptibility to non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and stroke1 those with high blood pressure are among those who may not be allowed to have a drivers licence1 in some cases it does not make sense to even allow you to train as a driver when we know you are not fit said kibogong1 he however insisted that the mandatory health clearance should not be viewed as discrimination against certain conditions1 in most of these cases it is just about correcting them. for example for poor eyesight you can be given glasses and you will be fine. there are only a few conditions that we may not allow he said1 drivers to be affected by the new rules are those applying for new licences and those seeking renewals this year1 the practice of pegging the issuance of drivers licences to medical tests may be new in the country but has been in force for years in other parts of the world1 in new york for instance if one loses the use of a leg arm eye or ear such information must be included on the driving licence1 such drivers are then only allowed to operate customised vehicles1 similarly if the drivers hearing is not acceptable a restriction of hearing aid or full-view mirror is added to the driver licence1 those who wear hearing aids and cannot pass the hearing test must use full-view rear mirrors1 kibogong said ntsa would work closely with the ministry of health to ensure that only those who were fit were allowed on the road1