Early Screenings Critical In Fighting Cancer
Updated on: Feb 04, 2020
Calls for regular cancer screenings for early diagnosis dominated todays Laikipia County World Cancer Day celebration where residents benefited from free cancer screening from the County Department of Health.
The event that was held at Nanyuki Central Park to mark the global event brought together survivors of cancer, health workers, representatives from the National Hospital Insurance Fund and cancer support groups to create awareness on the dreaded disease.
The public had the opportunity to meet cancer survivors who recounted moving tales of their battle with the scourge, and whose experience living with the disease has made them advocates of early screenings to reduce complications of treating the disease at its advanced stages.
The significance for health insurance was amplified even more, with officers from the National Hospital Insurance Fund sensitizing the public on the affordable cancer packages that have saved families the financial pitfalls that they would have gone through as they struggle to foot the hospital bills for their loved ones.
Mr. Timboroa, a survivor of advanced-stage cancer from Lamuria, recounted his ordeal with the disease that confined him to crutches. Thanks to his health insurance with NHIF, his hospital bill was paid to the tune of over Ksh 6 million, an amount he says would have taken him over 100 years to repay in monthly installments of Ksh. 500.
Susan Wambui, an advocate of early screenings who lost her breast to cancer, appealed to the members to take early screenings to increase the chances of disease manageability. Ms. Wambui is cancer-free now after she got treated at Nanyuki Teaching and Referral Hospital.
Frequent cancer screening falls in line with the overall Laikipia Universal Health Coverage strategy that focuses more on preventive and promotive health approach. To scale up this strategy on cancer, the government has introduced Cancer Awareness Volunteers who will advocate for cancer screenings at the grassroots level.
Cancer screenings in six months interval is one of the health priorities of the County government as it pushes the agenda of preventive health a notch higher.
The event that was held at Nanyuki Central Park to mark the global event brought together survivors of cancer, health workers, representatives from the National Hospital Insurance Fund and cancer support groups to create awareness on the dreaded disease.
The public had the opportunity to meet cancer survivors who recounted moving tales of their battle with the scourge, and whose experience living with the disease has made them advocates of early screenings to reduce complications of treating the disease at its advanced stages.
The significance for health insurance was amplified even more, with officers from the National Hospital Insurance Fund sensitizing the public on the affordable cancer packages that have saved families the financial pitfalls that they would have gone through as they struggle to foot the hospital bills for their loved ones.
Mr. Timboroa, a survivor of advanced-stage cancer from Lamuria, recounted his ordeal with the disease that confined him to crutches. Thanks to his health insurance with NHIF, his hospital bill was paid to the tune of over Ksh 6 million, an amount he says would have taken him over 100 years to repay in monthly installments of Ksh. 500.
Susan Wambui, an advocate of early screenings who lost her breast to cancer, appealed to the members to take early screenings to increase the chances of disease manageability. Ms. Wambui is cancer-free now after she got treated at Nanyuki Teaching and Referral Hospital.
Frequent cancer screening falls in line with the overall Laikipia Universal Health Coverage strategy that focuses more on preventive and promotive health approach. To scale up this strategy on cancer, the government has introduced Cancer Awareness Volunteers who will advocate for cancer screenings at the grassroots level.
Cancer screenings in six months interval is one of the health priorities of the County government as it pushes the agenda of preventive health a notch higher.
