Nairobi, Aug. 10 -- A patient searching online for a cosmetic surgeon, a fertility clinic or a dentist will find no shortage of choices, glossy before-and-after photos, testimonials, discount packages and promises of pain-free recovery. Somewhere between informing a patient and inducing them to buy a procedure they may not need lies a line that regulators are defending.

The Medical Practitioners and Dentists (Practitioners and Health Facilities) (Advertising) Rules, 2016 establish guidelines on what is permissible when promoting services.

The rule is that medicine is a profession founded on trust and altruism, not a commodity to be aggressively marketed. No advertisement is permitted unless it is objective, truthful, dignified and respe...