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{
    "id": 1057187,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1057187/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 247,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. (Dr.) Musuruve",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13188,
        "legal_name": "Getrude Musuruve Inimah",
        "slug": "getrude-musuruve-inimah"
    },
    "content": "lifestyle disease. We also cannot say that cancer can catch one, two or three people because there is no specific cause of cancer. There are different types of cancer. They are diverse; almost 200 and the causes are unknown. When you are talking of the causes of cancer, the symptoms of cancer are known because it depends with the type of cancer. Different types of cancer have different symptoms. Therefore, you cannot sit down to begin advising someone that if they feel pain, they should know that maybe they have cancer. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, from a survivor’s point of view and someone who has experienced and gone through this, cancer is an abnormality of cells that can catch anyone. We have to see how to help those people who go through cancer and their families. When it comes to treatment, there is no specific treatment plan for cancer. I saw yesterday in the newspapers that there is a Bill already in the National Assembly that has come out saying that when it comes to the treatment plan, we have to exhaust all avenues of local treatment in order to pursue treatment abroad, so that people are referred to India, South Africa and so on. I stand on the Floor of this House to say candidly that as Kenya, we are not ready for that Bill. Even if the Bill passes, it will not help cancer survivors or patients because we have not trained enough oncologists to deal with cancer. The issue of medical tourism should stop when it comes to patients with terminal illnesses and those diagnosed with cancer. I want to thank Karen Hospital. When I was diagnosed with cancer in 2013, Karen Hospital was candid enough to tell me, and they called my family, that they are not able to treat me. This was because the kind of cancer I had was rare and the doctors were not able to manage it. Bone cancer is not predominantly found in adults. They surrendered and told me the truth; that I was going to lose my leg, uterus and pelvis. I asked them as an innocent patient: “When I lose all that, what will I remain with?” I will forever thank them because they gave me a referral to go to India. When I went to India, I was able to salvage my limb. When you see me walking with this limb, I walk because God allowed me. God allowed me to remain with my limb. If I had not pursued other avenues and alternatives, I would be having one leg without a uterus and a pelvis. I am speaking from a survivor's point of view. Sometimes we come up with legislations simply because we want to come up with laws. However, the laws we make sometimes do not really help the people who are affected. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, as a cancer survivor, we must rethink how we look at people who have cancer. We must rethink how we treat them because once someone is diagnosed with cancer, life changes as well as their perception of life. If you are working somewhere, no boss will give you a promotion. They look at you in terms of you dying anytime. You are given two months, three weeks or even one year to die. When it comes to promotion, it is rare that people who have chronic diseases are earmarked for promotion. It is also rare that they are given high cadre jobs because when your employer looks at you, he or she sees as if you going to die anytime. We must come up with legislation that will help cancer survivors and people suffering from chronic diseases. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I commend Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) because of the intervention that they did for me. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}