Garissa Cancer Center conducts first radiotherapy treatment for Hulugho Man  

A cancer patient who was referred from Hulugho Sub-county, located 200 kilometers South East of Garissa has received radiotherapy treatment on Tuesday. 

Garissa Cancer Center offered the patient refered from Holugho health center a specialized radiothereapy treatment.

The coordinator of the facility Fatuma Hassan said it was a historic moment to receive an advanced precision cancer treatment at the Garissa Referal hospital.

She said the Garissa cancer center is fully operationalized to attend to the growimg number of cancer cases in Garissa County and the neighbouring counties in Northern Kenya.

The medic assured patients that the facilty have a highly trained professionals with specialized training  and  advanced equipments to provide secure and improved cancer services.

She said chemotherapy services were already available since 2019 at the Referral hospital but patience were seeking radiothereapy treatments in Nairobi and overseas countries.

The coordinator said the county goverment will conduct a sensitization exercise to create awareness in the availlable services. 

Former President Uhuru Kenyatta initiated the construction of regional cancer centers in Mombasa,  Nakuru Garissa, Kisumu and Nyeri counties.

At least 27,000 Kenyans succumb to the cancer disease annually, according to statistics from the Ministry of Health.

In February, President Uhuru Kenyatta launched the first regional cancer center at the Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital in the coastal city of Mombasa.

Kenyatta said the center which will cater for cancer patients in the region and beyond becomes the second public facility of its type in Kenya after the one at the Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital.

The ultra-modern facility, developed in partnership between the national government and the county government of Garissa as part of the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) pillar of the development blueprint, boasts of high-tech equipment to offer comprehensive cancer care.

Garissa Governor Nadhif Aden Jamaa who toured the facilty recently  assured  members of the publuc his commitment to ensure the facility offers a  high standard services to cancer patients.

The governor said that screening, treatment and palliative care will be facilitated and prioritized at the centre. 

Prostate, oesophageal and colon cancers are the leading cancers among men in Garissa, while breast and cervical are the most common among women.

The alarming increase in oesophageal cancer at the county referral hospital has led to calls from residents to establish the real causes.