Why Are We Neglecting Cancer Patients Across The Country?

Ever since Covid-19 hit the country, all other concerns over other illnesses were dropped and all machinery focused on fighting Covid-19.

Well, Covid-19 seems to be here to stay. In fact, the more we fight it, the more it keeps on increasing. But as we fight against Covid-19, should we forget about other illnesses?

At the advent of Covid-19, many cancer patients across the country were discharged from their respective hospitals to “create” room for Covid-19 patients “in the event that cases were to move out of hand”.

These cancer patients, some of whom have died for lack or inadequate access to healthcare services, are going through untold suffering with no hope of seeing the following day.

Did you know that at least 80 people die daily in Kenya due to cancer? This translates to at least 2,400 monthly and at least 28,000 annually. These are great numbers with the majority of those deaths being poor.

Cancer of the mighty

In Kenya, government officials rarely talk about cancer. They only jump out of their stupor when a prominent person (one of their own) dies of cancer.

When a prominent person dies of cancer, government machinery will be dedicated, promises made but when all is over and they retrieve to the usual cocoons, it becomes “everyone for himself, God for us all.”

Hospitals should consider cancer patients too

As hospitals channel their efforts to fight Covid-19, they should consider cancer patients too. The government should also, in imposing travel restrictions, consider cancer patients.

The majority of the are losing lives because they cannot afford to travel to Nairobi and even if they did, hospitals that are supposed to help them out are not admitting them.

What are we really doing to cancer patients? Are we leaving them to die? Some were supposed to fly to India, but due to travel restrictions, they can’t. The least we can do as a nation is to ensure they get a share of what our health system can offer.