Health

Aga Khan hospital offers free treatment to 400 cancer patients

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Chief radiologist at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Stanley Rutajunara explains how the linear accelerator machine is used in cancer treatment in this picture taken on January 3, 2012. The hospital has offered to treat 400 cancer patients for free after radiotherapy machines at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) broke down last week. PHOTO | FILE |

The Aga Khan University Hospital has offered to treat 400 cancer patients for free after radiotherapy machines at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) broke down last week.

KNH had only two overworked radiotherapy machines that broke down prompting the Health ministry to seek help from private hospitals like Aga Khan to help salvage the situation, which had put hundreds of lives at risk.

“The offer to provide free radiotherapy treatment was made possible through funds from the hospital’s patient welfare programme in part supported by generous contributions from well-wishers, partners and corporate donors,” said Mr Shawn Bolouki, the chief executive officer at the Aga Khan University Hospital.

Aga Khan, MP Shah and Nairobi hospitals are some of the private medical facilities which offer treatment to cancer patients.

The government is also in talks with other private hospitals to extend help to KNH radiotherapy patients.

READ: State in talks with private hospitals as KNH cancer machines collapse

“The Ministry of Health begun negotiations with private hospitals to provide radiotherapy treatment to cancer patients whose treatment was interrupted by the breakdown,” said the Director of Medical Services, Dr Nicholas Muraguri.

Aga Khan last year offered 183 free medical camps 50 of which were for cancer.