Restore the prestige of Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH)

Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) is not living up to its billing. The hospital is acknowledged as the largest referral public hospital in the East and Central African region yet its services continue to be dire.

An impromptu visit by Health Cabinet Secretary Cleopa Mailu on Tuesday revealed this sorry state of affairs at the institution which, in a way, has a direct bearing on the rising costs of medicare. The misery, the desperation and death of the poor, who largely depend on subsidised services at Government hospitals and mostly, KNH, has been documented. Kidney and cancer patients are the most affected. Statistics show that at least 1,000 cancer patients are on a two-year waiting list at KNH. It is unrealistic to expect someone with an advanced case of cancer to wait, or even survive that long without treatment.