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{
    "id": 1426142,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1426142/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 203,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Cherarkey",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13217,
        "legal_name": "Cherarkey K Samson",
        "slug": "cherarkey-k-samson"
    },
    "content": "I know a number of Members of the Senate who during the weekend, are either doing a fundraiser or are in WhatsApp groups to pay cancer hospitals bills. Majority of harambees that we do across the country are for cancer cases. This disease continues to ravage and kill our people. The sad thing about cancer is that it does not only kill a person, it also impoverishes families. There are many families who lose their loved ones and resources because it is expensive to treat cancer. I know we have had a discussion on cancer treatment across the country. Cancer is the third leading cause of death in Kenya. For example, in 2020, we had 42,000 cases of cancer and 27,000 cancer related deaths were reported in Kenya. As far as the statistics of the Ministry of Health is concerned, there are counties that lead in death related to cancer complications. That is Nairobi, Kiambu and Nakuru. The cancer challenges continue to bedevil us in one way or another. Apart from financial distress to the families, it also affects us. I know a number of Members of Parliament (MPs) who have been diagnosed with cancer and are on treatment. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, cancer eats the body and the resources of a family. Many people travel to India or other developed countries for cancer treatment and it costs millions of shillings. With the modern era of technology, I am aware that in 2023, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Referral Hospital had a pilot project on Artificial Intelligence (AI) that is trying to treat cancer. The essence of this amendment in Section 2 is the import of E-medicine and telemedicine in terms of diagnosis, treatment and possible prevention of cancer in the country. Telemedicine means introduction of an electronic way of engagement. For example, if you go to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH), through E-medicine and telemedicine, you will do a teleconference with your consulted in India. In fact, they can guide the doctors in MTRH, Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), Aga Khan, Nairobi Hospital and all our facilities. This has been done. What we have been trying to do is entrench it in the law. We are trying to amend the Cancer Prevention Act, CAP 246(B) as revised in 2012. As a country, we need to incorporate the issue of telemedicine so that we also prevent people from traveling to India or other parts of the world. I know medical tourism has become one of the biggest sources of revenue for India and other nations. For example, Eldoret prides itself as one of the hospital cities because you find a number of them there. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am aware that there is a new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) by the name Dr. Kirwa at MTRH. These referral hospitals must be updated. This is a challenge to counties to do telemedicine. I know there is a crisis at KNH. There are allegations that the Ethics and Anti- Corruption Commission (EACC) is investigating the CEO. However, we challenge our referral facilities to borrow on telemedicine in dealing with cancer. The annual projection of cancer cases from 2012 has increased from 37,000 to 47,887. This AI will continue. When people are doing Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL)"
}