Kenya to wait longer for cancer centres

Malaria, pneumonia and cancer are now the top killer diseases in Kenya. GRAPHIC | NATION NEWSPLEX

What you need to know:

  • Coincidentally, this revelation came barely two weeks after Kenyatta National Hospital suspended radiotherapy treatment for cancer patients for about three days "to correct a detected error in its machines that could compromise the quality of treatment." The services have since resumed.
  • Even as these projects are being rolled out, the Ministry of Health noted that over 10,000 cancer patients in Kenya spend Sh11.28billion for treatment in hospitals overseas.

Kenyans seeking cancer treatment will have to wait a bit longer for treatment. Cabinet Secretary Health James Macharia told Nation Newsplex the country will have to wait for another three months to get the four cancer centres that the government promised would be ready by July this year.

Ministry of Health noted that over 10,000 cancer patients in Kenya spend Sh11.28billion for treatment in hospitals overseas.

The cancer centres that were to be in Mombasa, Nyeri, Eldoret, and Kisumu and would cost one billion shillings each "took a while to set up".

Mr Macharia had said in March that four cancer centres would be set up in the four regions after two radiotherapy machines broke down at the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) in March this year, to the dismay of hundreds of cancer patients who depend on the life-saving treatment.

He said the cancer centres would be put up at Coast General Hospital (Mombasa), Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (Eldoret), Kisumu General Hospital and Nyeri General Hospital.

Coincidentally, this revelation came barely two weeks after Kenyatta National Hospital suspended radiotherapy treatment for cancer patients for about three days "to correct a detected error in its machines that could compromise the quality of treatment." The services have since resumed.

Already, the government has set aside Sh21billion for cancer care, mainly for diagnosis machines, out of an ambitious Sh38billion medical equipment project.​  

Even as these projects are being rolled out, the Ministry of Health noted that over 10,000 cancer patients in Kenya spend Sh11.28billion for treatment in hospitals overseas.