Lubao FM News Kakamega County is set to establish a comprehensive cancer care centre to ease access to treatment for the disease. Once established and operational, the centre will serve patients from Western and Nyanza regions, as well as those from neighbouring parts of Uganda. Currently, patients seeking cancer treatment from the region have to travel to Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi, where they have to wait for weeks or even months because of the high traffic.
Governor Wycliffe Oparanya said the national government had set aside Sh500 million this financial year for the establishment of the centre at the Kakamega County Referral Hospital. Dr Hilda Mubisi, the oncologist in charge of the cancer centre at the county general hospital, said the funds will be used for construction and equipping of the new centre.
Mubisi said more than 10 types of cancer are being managed at the centre. She said the region has a high prevalence of oesophagus cancer due to heavy consumption of chang’aa. Mubisi said cases of oesophagus cancer at the facility are higher than those of breast and prostate cancer.
