With the number of Covid-19 cases increasing by the day in Kenya, cancer survivors now face double tragedy with their weakened immunity leaving them exposed to sure death in case they contract the dreaded disease.
Addressing the press in Chuka town, in Tharaka Nithi County, Thursday, the survivors dubbed ‘Neema Cancer Warriors’ expressed fears that with their low immunity their bodies will not be able to resist coronavirus.
Janis Wanja, the chairperson of the group said they are already facing severe shortages of medication that worsened to a point of the drugs becoming non-affordable, adding that their chances of survival are growing narrow every day.
“We depend on our children to purchase the expensive medicine but with the restriction of movement they are now locked up in the cities and are also not able to earn sufficient for their livelihoods leave alone assisting us,” said Ms. Wanja
She further disclosed that most of them attend regular medical appointments in hospitals in Nairobi and with the big hospitals hosting isolation centres for coronavirus cases they are now apprehensive of visiting them.
“The fear to expose ourselves to covid-19 either in the public transport vehicles and at the medical facilities themselves makes us skip medical appointments made by the doctors which decreases our chances of survival during this pandemic,” Ms. Wanja lamented.
Regina Wanjiku, also a member of the group disclosed that the worst hit are some of the members who were to go for treatment abroad, who as the cancellation of international flights becomes a reality no longer have any hope of even receiving medical treatment from foreign countries.
She said the government seems to have abandoned them to the mercy of fate with most of them unable to get their medications for over a month, which has completely shattered their hope of making it through the Coronavirus pandemic.
By Monicah Nyagah
