JAMILA’S MEMO: To the government - Take care of \Cancer patients

Two out of three Cancer patients in Kenya succumb to the disease, while only 23 per cent of them have access to treatment and management services. These are some of the shocking revelations of a report by the National Cancer Institute. Which raises the question, if only 23 per cent are able to access treatment, what about the remaining 77 per cent who are languishing and are unable to get the help that they need?

This reminds me of a Memo that I did in November 2019. At the time, we had run a feature titled ‘Cancer country’ which featured heart-breaking stories of Kenyans suffering from the disease but are unable to afford treatment. Between the filming and airing of the feature, some of the patients we interviewed passed away as they struggled financially to pay for the treatment.

The shocking statistics released on Thursday also show that 70 per cent of Cancer cases are diagnosed at advances stages, which raises questions about early diagnosis of the disease. In the past, issues about the ability of doctors to diagnose the disease early and providing the right medication before the disease ravages the patient were raised, with patients citing instances of unqualified doctors handling cancer cases.

In cases where the disease is detected early, the patients go back and try to raise the money needed for treatment. And when they are finally able to raise the required funds, time has passed and the disease has eaten away at the body. Another issue of concern is the number of Oncologists in the country. For a population of over 50 million, 30 or so Oncologists are not enough and should be an issue of great concern. Many doctors say that the training is expensive and only available abroad; most cannot afford the training fees.

The report released also shows that on average over 47,000 new Cancer cases are reported yearly, with close to 33,000 people dying annually. These statistics should jolt the government into action and come up with a plan as it is unacceptable that so many Kenyans are suffering, with some living with the belief that they will eventually lose their lives and are unable to afford the life saving treatment.

In Kenya, the nexus between Cancer and poverty is the worst. It consigns one to certain death. If Cancer diagnosis, management and treatment services are made affordable, those Kenyans who see Cancer as a death sentence will have some hope. For those battling the disease, their relatives and those in the early stages of Cancer, Cancer screening and early diagnosis and prognosis can save lives, as well as trained doctors and Oncologists and of course the availability of equipment and medication.

Thomas Jefferson once said; “The care of human life and not its destruction is the first and only legitimate object of good government.”

That’s my Memo!