The government has announced that the new health insurance scheme will fully cover cancer treatment costs, giving hope to the over 1 million Kenyans who are likely to be impoverished by the disease.
Health Director General Dr Patrick Amoth while confirming this said the structure of the new medical cover has been optimized, to ensure that whatever is prescribed by the doctors in line with the guidelines provided by the National Cancer Control Program, will be treated fully without any additional out-of-pocket expenses for families.
Speaking during the launch of the National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month at Kenyatta University Teaching Research and Referral Hospital (KUTRRH) where he also commissioned a paediatric oncology ward, Dr Amoth asked Kenyans to register with the new Social Health Authority (SHA) to access the new medical insurance cover ahead of the official rollout of the program on October 1, 2024.
“As a country, every year, one million Kenyans are at risk of being impoverished by catastrophic health treatment expenses and one of these causes is treatment of cancer. This new scheme will ease this financial burden,” said Amoth.
The DG said at least 3,000 new childhood cancer cases are reported every year with the survival rate being 20 percent compared to 80 percent in developed countries, a situation which he said needs to be addressed.
On the strides made by KUTRRH in managing cancer care services in both children and adults, the health DG said the hospital has performed exemplary through its state-of-the-art equipment and competent staff.
The Hospital Board Chairperson Prof Olive Mugenda called on the Health DG to help in fast tracking of the completion of a children’s wing at the hospital.
She said the 300-bed facility which has been under construction over the last six years was initially allocated Sh500 million and more funds are required to complete it.
Prof Mugenda also divulged that the hospital in collaboration with the University of Manchester has initiated research on oesophageal cancer, a project she said is currently underway.
“We are now offering PET-Scan, a service that was not available in the country until recently. We are doing between 40 and 50 scans a day, you can imagine the impact the hospital is having on Kenyans in battling cancer,” said Mugenda.
Ahmed Dagane, the KUTRRH Chief Executive Officer said the facility is committed to advancing healthcare services through innovative care, research, and partnerships and has invested in cutting-edge diagnostic and treatment facilities to better serve the needs of children battling cancer.
Data released by the World Health Organisation (WHO) showed that the country reported 44,726 new cancer cases and 29,317 cancer-related deaths in 2022 and currently, approximately 82,000 Kenyans are living with the disease.
The Ministry of Health lists the five most prevalent cancers as breast, cervical, prostate, oesophageal, and lymphoma.
By Muoki Charles
