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{
    "id": 595439,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/595439/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 55,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Kittony",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13110,
        "legal_name": "Zipporah Jepchirchir Kittony",
        "slug": "zipporah-jepchirchir-kittony"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Speaker, Sir, I have the response requested by Sen. Dullo Adan. She had requested us to include the specific information as follows. i. State and explain the circumstances leading to the suspension of radiotherapy treatment at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) on 16th March, 2015. ii. State and explain the interim measures that the Ministry took to ensure that patients who were on radiotherapy treatment at the hospital before the suspension continue with treatment as scheduled to avoid loss of lives. iii. State how many lives, if any, have been lost as a result of the shutdown and give an indication on when radiotherapy treatment will resume at KNH. iv. Explain why KNH is the only public radiotherapy facility in the country and has only two radiotherapy machines, which are worn out and need to be replaced. v. Explain why radiotherapy is classified as an outpatient treatment and, therefore, not covered by National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF). vi. State the measures that the Ministry of Health plans to take to ensure more radiotherapy treatment centres are established countrywide to serve all Kenyans and prevent loss of lives due to unavailability and inaccessibility of the service. The suspension of the radiotherapy treatment service on16thMarch, 2015, was due to breakdown of equipment. One of the radio therapy equipment which is 22 years old had excessive table sag which is irreparable due to age, wear and tear. The second equipment had its electron component affected due to a power surge. Repairs were completed on 19thMarch, 2015, followed by the recalibration and testing on 20th, 21st and 22nd March, 2015. Normal services resumed on 23rd March, 2015. Following the breakdown of radiotherapy equipment at the Cancer Treatment Centre at the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), the following measures were instituted immediately:- (i) KNH management engaged the private sector with radiotherapy facilities (The Nairobi Hospital and Aga Khan Hospital) and requested them to accept the patients on treatment. Forty six patients were transferred to these institutions to continue with treatment free of charge. The rest of the patients numbering 105 continued treatment at KNH after the repairs of the equipment. (ii) KNH management extended the working hours of the cancer treatment centre in a bid to clear the backlog. There were no lives lost as a result of the shutdown. Following repairs and calibration of the equipment, normal service resumed on the 23rd March, 2015. Radiotherapy is a highly specialised service which requires highly specialised personnel and equipment. Training of radio-oncologists is costly, lengthy, and not locally available, hence resulting in shortage of manpower in this area. Currently, there are less than 10 radio-oncologists in the country. This manpower shortage has limited expansion of radiotherapy services in the country. Further, the Ministry has been functioning on inadequate resources which have to be spread across many competing needs. Against the Abuja Standard of 15 per cent of the national budget, the Ministry has never been allocated more than 8 per cent. For a long The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}