Macharia rules out free treatment for cancer patients
Health Cabinet Secretary James Macharia. Mr Macharia said that cancer patients would not get free treatment because it would not be economically sustainable. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Instead, Mr Macharia says the government is focusing on reducing the cost of treatment, early detection and preventive measures including encouraging regular screening.
- Mr Macharia was responding to a petition before the committee that also seeks to amend the Cancer Act, 2012, to exempt patients and survivors from paying taxes.
- The CS, who was accompanied by the PS Khadija Kassachoon and senior ministry officials said Kenyan has over 40,000 cancer patients, and on average 5,000 die annually.
Hopes that cancer patients would get free treatment have been dashed after Health Cabinet Secretary James Macharia said it would not be economically sustainable.
Instead, Mr Macharia says the government is focusing on reducing the cost of treatment, early detection and preventive measures including encouraging regular screening.
“The ministry is advocating for the adoption of a Universal Health Coverage Scheme which will cover costs of cancer diagnosis and treatment,” Mr Macharia told National Assembly’s Health Committee chaired by Dr Racheal Nyamai yesterday.
Mr Macharia was responding to a petition before the committee that also seeks to amend the Cancer Act, 2012, to exempt patients and survivors from paying taxes.
“In 2013, the ministry did an assessment and realized cancer prevalence is high and a huge chunk of funds go into cancer projects,” he said.
The CS, who was accompanied by the PS Khadija Kassachoon and senior ministry officials said Kenyan has over 40,000 cancer patients, and on average 5,000 die annually.
