As the country continues to mourn and condole with the family of the late Bomet Governor, Dr. Joyce Laboso, five members of the Kericho County Assembly have asked the county administration to fast-track plans to construct a cancer centre at the Kericho County Referral Hospital having allocated Sh.200 million in the 2018-2019 financial year.
The MCAs said there was need to put up such a facility at the hospital to assist in treating cancer patients besides helping to screen people to curb related and enable early diagnosis deaths.
The MCAs, Cheruiyot Bett (Ainamoi), Esborn Tonui (Cheplanget), Albert Kipkoech (Soliat), Evans Kibet (Cheboin) and Majani Rono (Tendeno Soget) said the county should move with speed and ensure the centre is built as soon as possible to alleviate suffering of cancer patients.
They said there was no reason as to why the county has not moved in that direction yet funds had already been allocated for its construction.
Bett claimed that Sh.200m was allocated towards the construction of the facility in 2018/19 financial year and the county administration should hasten the plans for its constructions without any further delay.
“Serious steps should be taken by both national and county governments to finds ways of stopping and treating cancer. This disease has emerged to be among the leading killer diseases and if cure is not found immediately, it will wipe out the humanity. So I am asking the Kericho county administration to establish the centre as soon as possible,” said Bett.
Kibet said there were so many people in villages suffering and succumbing to the disease because the cost of treating it is so expensive. He therefore called on the national and county governments to urgently find ways of lowering the cost of treating the killer disease.
The MCAs condoled with the family of the late Governor Laboso who succumbed to cancer on Monday. They prayed to God to give the family strength during this mourning period.
Cancer has of late claimed the lives of former Safaricom Chief Executive Officer, Bob Collymore, the Kibra MP and Ken Okoth among others.
Recently the Kericho County Health Executive, Dr. Shadrack Mutai disclosed that his department was set to enlist researchers to conduct study on cancer in the county and the surrounding areas.
According to Dr. Mutai, the cancer researchers will work in conjunction with those from Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) to unveil the reason behind the upsurge of the terminal disease not only in Kericho but the entire country.
Dr. Mutai said the construction of the Cancer Centre in the region could start in the month of August.
By Dominic Cheres
