The Malindi business community has launched initiatives to support the treatment of breast cancer patients in the area.
Through the Night of Hope and Strength initiative, the community seeks to collect funds to run breast cancer awareness campaigns and offer treatment opportunities to patients.
Charity Karimi who is the director of Night of Hope and Strength said that stigma, lack of local cancer treatment centers and poverty were the main causes of death and suffering of victims and their families.
“The situation is very dire and the stigma is so bad and there are a lot of people we followed and they refused to come out because of the stigma and there is need to create more awareness in the rural areas,” she said.
She said a lot of people fear going to hospital because they fear that people will profile them for being victims of cancer.
Karimi said breast cancer treatment was very expensive and challenged the Ministry of Health to streamline the Social Health Authority (SHA) so that all types of cancers can be covered fully in the program.
“We currently have ten beneficiaries for the few days we have been in operation and half of those have not even started treatment. Some of these women were diagnosed as early as February this year and they have not been able to get the first treatment due to the costs involved,” she said.
She also challenged the government to set up a cancer center in Malindi which will serve people from the North Coast region.
“I’m appealing to the Ministry of Health to set up a cancer center in Malindi to cushion patients from Tana River and Lamu counties from the transportation costs,” she said.
Martha Chao, a breast cancer patient narrated how the treatment journey has been painful and costly saying that she needs between Ksh. 60,000 to Ksh. 120, 000 to access treatment sessions once every three weeks.
“I did radiation and I’m currently undergoing immunotherapy and I’m remaining with three sessions. It is not easy and treatment is expensive and SHA has a very lower limit which forces patience to pay in cash because raising more than Ksh. 60,000 every three weeks is not a joke,” she said.
Marriam Hassan, a breast cancer survivor for 14 years, said that she had dedicated her life to helping victims of breast cancer, having been a victim before.
“I have come here to support people who have been diagnosed with cancer and I want to advise them, that if a doctor tells them to remove the breast, they should do it because it is the best thing and they won’t go for chemotherapy and those who has started chemotherapy they should have hope of healing like me,” she said.
The Principal Secretary for Youth Affairs and Creative Economy Fikirini Jacobs who graced the breast cancer fundraiser dinner at the Malindi Sea Fishing Club said the government was exploring ways of making SHA cover all the costs involved in treatment of all kinds of cancers.
“Through the Social Health Authority (SHA), cancer patients are covered up to Sh. 550,000 per year, which offsets the majority of treatment costs for the most common cancers but the government has appointed a national panel to review and enhance the cancer treatment package to ensure it is more comprehensive and inclusive under Universal Health Coverage,” he said.
He said currently, the country has six major cancer centres at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH), Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital (KUTRRH), Nakuru PGH, Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital, and Garissa PGH.
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