Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe told Parliament on Thursday that the breakdown has prompted KNH to sign deals with private hospitals like Nairobi Hospital, MP Shah and Aga Khan for treatment of the patients.
KNH is preferred for cancer treatment due to its lower costs compared to private hospitals, which charge more for screening, radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
A session of radiotherapy at KNH goes for an average of Sh3,600, while private hospitals can charge up to Sh10,000 per session.
Three out of seven cancer screening and treatment machines at Kenyatta National and Referral Hospital (KNH) are out of service due to age and overuse, exposing patients to high costs.
Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe told Parliament on Thursday that the breakdown has prompted KNH to sign deals with private hospitals like Nairobi Hospital, MP Shah and Aga Khan for treatment of the patients, adding to the already high cost of managing the disease.
“In order to cushion cancer patients from suffering occasioned by perennial breakdown of machines, KNH has entered into partnerships with hospitals such as the Aga Khan who still offer the same services to the patients at NHIF approved rates,” said Mr Kagwe.
KNH is preferred for cancer treatment due to its lower costs compared to private hospitals, which charge more for screening, radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
A session of radiotherapy at KNH goes for an average of Sh3,600, while private hospitals can charge up to Sh10,000 per session. The charges vary depending on the drugs used and type of cancer being treated.
KNH’S cancer treatment machines have broken down with increasing frequency, forcing some patients to wait for up to two years after booking to get treatment.
One of three broken machines was bought in 2000 while the other two were acquired in 2017. Mr Kagwe did not disclose why the two are not working given that they are relatively new and within their expected lifespan of 10 years.
The ministry says that cancer treatment machines have a lifespan of ten years but one has been used for 22 years lifting the lid on KNH’s financial strains that have hurt efforts to buy new machines.
Mr Kagwe saidt the government plans to purchase three machines to replace the broken ones. The referrals to the private hospitals have denied KNH revenues in form of medical payouts from NHIF.
