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By RAWLINGS OTIENO
Cancer patients at Kenyatta National Hospital will have a new ward.
The Pediatric and Oncology Children Ward cost a paltry Sh3 million to renovate and will now accommodate 30 cancer patients.
The renovation was funded through a donation by the Israel Embassy in Nairobi.
Israel Ambassador Jacob Keidar said his staff invited the Jewish Community of Kenya to participate in joint venture to refurbish the facility.
"The initiative aimed at giving hope to the needy and vulnerable as we celebrated our national holiday," said Keidar.
Pledging more support to similar initiatives, Keidar said his Government would continue to support its bilateral relationship with Kenya.
He spoke yesterday during the handover ceremony at the hospital, which also coincided with the 63rd Independence Anniversary of the State of Israel.
He said it is the tradition of the Israel State and the Jewish community in Kenya to celebrate with the needy in the society.
Cancer campaign
Medical Services Minister Anyang Nyong’o said the renovated Ward 1E was one of the many special units of the facility that takes care of children suffering from cancer.
"I must admit cancer is one of the many diseases majority of Kenyans are now familiar with, and one of the non-communicable diseases that occupies 50 per cent of the hospital bed capacity in Kenya," said Prof Nyong’o.
He said his ministry will launch a nationwide campaign against the dangers of the disease and the methods of identifying and treating it.
Nyong’o said KNH was the only public health facility in the country offering cancer diagnosis and treatment, adding that lack of resources was the main impediment to cancer management.
He said the Government will, from this year, start providing cancer diagnosis and treatment in Nyanza and Coast provincial hospitals, and Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in bid to take the services closer to the people.
He also said a new Embakasi District Hospital will be opened to decongest KNH and offer specialised treatment at national level.
"We want to move primary medical services to district level so that KNH remains only a referral," added the minister.
Meanwhile, board chairman of the KNH management, Margaret Wanjohi, said the socio-economic challenges experienced by children with cancer, equally affect caregivers.
She said radiotherapy treatment for cancer for six weeks cost Sh9,000 while chemotherapy cost Sh4,000, adding that the cost was far much less than what private hospitals charged.
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