KNH doubles treatment fee for cancer patients
Damaris Ndunge, a cancer patient, is assisted by a relative to drink water at Coast General Hospital on September 25, 2015. Radiotherapy for cancer patients at Kenyatta National Hospital has been increased. PHOTO | KEVIN ODIT | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- The hospital now says beginning this week, it will be charging Sh1,000 per session and Sh3,600 for those who have subscribed to the national insurer.
- Chief Executive Lily Koros said the Sh3,600-a-session billed on NHIF patients a day translates to the Sh18,000 a week.
Cancer patients seeking treatment at Kenyatta National Hospital will have to cough up double the amount they have been paying for radiotherapy after charges were raised.
Some patients told Nation they might stop treatment for lack of money. One patient said she was struggling to get the Sh500 and can’t raise Sh1,000.
Patients said they had not been given an explanation for the increase even though they asked.
Until Friday last week, the hospital charged Sh500 for a session of radiotherapy for non-members of the National Hospital Insurance Fund. A patient may require up to 25 sessions.
However, the hospital now says beginning this week, it will be charging Sh1,000 per session and Sh3,600 for those who have subscribed to the national insurer.
Hospital Chief Executive Lily Koros said the Sh3,600-a-session billed on NHIF patients a day translates to the Sh18,000 a week.
Ms Koros said the new charges are well within what the hospital charges — between Sh500 and Sh1,000.
“We revised the charges on Monday in line with the NHIF scheme,” she said.
The hospital said the fee charged for a session of radiotherapy is highly subsidised from Sh4,000.
But a source, who declined to be named, said the increase was inspired by the country’s economic strain.
The national hospital fund said early this year it would pay Sh18,000 a session for radiotherapy and Sh5,000 for clinical reviews every month.
