Residents in Marsabit County and its environs will stand to benefit from a newly established cancer screening and treatment clinic at the Marsabit Referral Hospital. – By Gerald Gekara.
The facility that was opened by Governor Mohamud Ali said his government is open to expand budgetary allocation and personnel to the department of health for efficient control of cancer.
The clinic, apart from doing diagnostic work would also act as a source of information about the disease so that people could seek screening to know their status and if necessitating get treatment at the right time.
The governor noted that with the operationalization of the cancer screening clinic, Marsabit county Referral Hospital had become a one stop point for specialized and quality health services.
“I urge my people to make use of this unique facility as all services would be offered free of charge,” Governor Ali appealed.
The county government allocated a budget of Sh 2.2 billion to the health sector in the current financial year which translates to 28 per cent of the total revenue allocation.
County First Ladies Association (CFLA) has been instrumental in the setting up of the centre together with other players including the national and county governments, the International Cancer Institute (ICI) and the Women for Cancer.
CFLA chairperson Maria Mbeneka Muriithi of Laikipia County led a battalion of 10 members among them Edna Lenku of Kajiado county who called on pastoralists to seek conventional mode of treatment for cancer instead of depending on herbal medicine.
The occasion was also attended by 10 county governors spouses including Nazi Kivutha (Makueni), Saline Barchok (Bomet), Christine Mvurya (Kwale), Dorothy Nyong’o (Kisumu), Stellah Samboja (Taita Taveta), Ivy Bunei (Baringo) while Ann Kimemia of Nyandarua sent a representative.
International Cancer Institute CEO Prof. Chite Asirwa and the Marsabit deputy governor Solomon Gubo, Women for Cancer chairperson Catherine Wachira and the head of Non-Communicable Diseases at the Ministry of Health Headquarters Dr. Ejersa Waqo also graced the occasion.
