Kisumu Cancer Center Construction at JOOTR Hospital on Course
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- June 2, 2021
The Cancer Center construction is currently ongoing at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital in Kisumu county. In the next 12 months, cancer patients will no longer have to travel to India or South Africa to seek cancer treatments.
The Cancer radiotherapy centre will be treating all types of cancer, offering quality oncology, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and palliative care services.
According to cancer statistics in Kenya, cancer remains the leading cause of mortality with over 40000 cases being reported annually, 28,000 people die with cancer annually due to fund constraints. One of Six patients dies of cancer daily.
More than 40 women die of cervical cancer because they lack access to treatment. In Kenya, only a few public hospitals offer cancer services, while the majority are private hospitals where most patients cannot afford their services.
“That is approximately a classroom of women annually succumb to cancer, while we only have three public hospitals that attend to patients the rests are private hence not accessible to everyone due to cost.” Dr Greggory Ganda, Chief Officer Health notes.
Lack of awareness increases cancer in society.
During the groundbreaking ceremony of the Radiotherapy centre at JOOTRH Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o said the county will inform and educate people on the benefits of early screening and diagnosis and risks reduction.
In Kenya cancer is the third leading cause of death after infectious and cardiovascular diseases, The main reasons why cancer is on the rise are the adaptation of unhealthy lifestyles ie. Lack of exercise, unhealthy diets, environmental pollution, industrialization, Urbanization etc.
“The completion and functioning of KCCHC will increase survival rates among many ailing from cancer, it will reduce mortality rate as early diagnosis shall be enabled.” Dr George Rae, CEO JTOORH says.
The construction of a cancer centre in JOOTRH Kisumu will make it the second public health referral hospital to provide radiotherapy services in the country, currently, the services are only available at Kenyatta National Hospital. This will help reduce congestion at KNH and allow patients all over the country to access treatment.
