The county government of Kisumu has secured a public-private partnership (PPP) with investors from India to set up a sickle cell specialist hospital.
Through the arrangement, specialists from India will give technical support to the county department of health to set up the facility at Victoria Hospital in Milimani.
The County Executive for Medical Services, Public Health, and Sanitation, Dr. Gregory Ganda, said the move will see Kisumu become the first county with such a facility in Kenya to give impetus to the fight against the blood disorder.
Once completed, the facility will have a centre for haematological disorders, offering cutting-edge diagnosis and treatment for sickle cell disease (SCD) and haemophilia, which have plagued the country for many years.
The facility will also offer bone marrow transplants, in addition to conducting research to help in the management of haematological diseases.
Dr. Ganda said this was in response to the rising number of SCD cases in the country, with counties surrounding Lake Victoria and the coastal region bearing the greatest burden of the disease.
In Kenya, it is estimated that 14,000 children are born annually with the disease, with 50–90% of them dying before their fifth birthday.
In Kisumu County, where 20,000 children are born annually, 500 of them succumb to the disease within five years.
In an interview with KNA during the Scientific Conference on Sickle Cell Disease and Haemophilia held in Kisumu, Dr. Ganda said infant screening holds the key to containing the disease.
As a result, the county government of Kisumu, with support from partners, has opened a sickle cell clinic and rolled out infant screening at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH).
“We have installed an ultra-modern machine for testing Sickle Cell at JOOTRH, which is the first one of its kind in the country,” he said.
The data from the facility indicates a 1.5% prevalence of the disease in the area.
“Since this is a hereditary disease, it is important to screen early so that as a child grows, the sickle cell trait is known. At the same time, people are also informed that if they marry a person with the same train, it will result in full-blown sickle cell disease,” he said.
Another clinic has also been opened at Pap Onditi in Nyakach Sub-County, while several other clinics are lined up to scale up testing.
“We are working to develop a comprehensive sickle cell programme all the way from screening, diagnosis, treatment, and bone marrow transplant,” said Dr. Ganda.
By Chris Mahandara
