HEALTH SUMMIT: PRESSURE OVER ILL-TREATMENT OF CANCER PATIENTS AT KNH

Medics, leaders and members of the public gathered at the State House in Nairobi to discuss the state of the health sector.

This followed a scene in which patients who had travelled hundreds of kilometers to access treatment at the kenyatta National Hospital spends their nights on the cold hospital floor and corridors.

“We cannot chase people away from my institution, whether they sleep on corridors or somewhere . They come from far and they must stay in the security area or in the comfort with a little discomfort of our institution”

The government admitted that there was a problem that health Cabinet Secretary, Cleophas Maillu, was on the way to form cancer centers to be set up in various regions.

“We are going to have cancer satellite treatment centers regionally in Nyeri, Nyanza, Coast and in the Rift Valley apart from Kenyatta National Hospital and Moi Referral hospitals” says Maillu.

This news should have been something to celebrate about except it wasn’t the first time that cancer centers had been mentioned as the solution to the problem of patients who flocked the referral hospital to make use of the sole cancer machine in a public hospital.

It was Maillu’s predecessor James Macharia who first mentioned the plans to establish the cancer centers. He would leave the ministry before the plans came to fruition.

The mention raises the question about the ministry's timelines. According to the health principal secretary Dr. Nicholas Muraguri, plans to setup the centers are on course.

In 2015, the government leased medical equipment at a cost of Khs. 38 Billion but all of it was diagnostic. Next year 2017, the government is looking to set up two additional radiation centers.

“Part of our plans is to expand and access to cancer treatment where we planned to expand our services in KNH by having three new radio therapy machines”

Setting up the centers, he says, is part of a 3-5 years plan starting this year.

During his visit to the country in July this year, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi donated a modern radio therapy machine while pledging to help kenya construct a top-notch cancer treatment center at KNH.

The state house health summit also discussed gains and losses made in the sector over the last three years. Noting that infant deaths have dropped while over 90% of patients suffering from tuberculosis are now receiving treatment.

The health summit is a fifth in a series of discussions hosted at State
 House on the status of various sectors. 

STORY BY: T.A. F
The Kenyan Medical Freelance Journalist
E-mail: medjournalnairobi@gmail.com