No official data on Kenyans’ cancer treatment abroad

The Health ministry has no official count of Kenyans seeking cancer treatment abroad in the past five years apart from the nearly 600 who registered officially.

Health Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS) Rashid Aman told the National Assembly’s Health committee that 597 Kenyans sought cancer treatment abroad in the past five years.

The 597 patients sought and obtained the approval of the ministry in line with a legal notice on rules for referrals of patients abroad.

Dr Aman, however, said the exact number of those who have sought cancer treatment abroad in the last five years cannot be ascertained.

“This figure is obtained from the records of the patients who have sought approval from the Ministry of Health in accordance with the Legal Notice Number 2 on rules of referrals of patient’s abroad,” Dr Aman said in response to questions by Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa.

Mr Barasa who rejected the response claiming that CASs are not constitutionally recognised wanted the ministry to provide the statistics.

According to data tabled by the ministry, 228 sought government permission to be treated abroad between 2015 and 2019.

This year, 113 Kenyans have asked the ministry to approve their travel for cancer treatment outside the country, 86 patients in 2016 and 25 in 2015.