EDITORIAL: Update patients’ data

Revelations that the Ministry of Health has no official count of Kenyans who have sought cancer treatment abroad for the last five years are worrying.

According to the ministry, it only has the details of 597 patients who registered officially before seeking treatment out of the country.

It says 223 people had sought government permission to be treated abroad between 2015 and 2019.

This year, 113 Kenyans have sought approval for cancer treatment abroad.

This is a massive lapse on the part of the government since it has no clue on how many of its citizens are receiving treatment abroad. For the government to be able to know the extent to which cancer has affected its population it needs to rely on verifiable data.

Such a quest cannot be achieved if it has no idea how many Kenyans are receiving cancer treatment abroad.

It is common knowledge that the disease has wrought havoc in many Kenyan homes hence the need to keep track.

The government needs to enlighten the population on the need for such crucial data in the battle against the disease.