Kwale cancer patients rely on local healers due to lack of awareness, costly treatment

In 2017 Juma Madau buried his brother after a long illness that his family believed was a result of witchcraft.

According to Juma his elder brother suffered a toothache and visited a private health centre in Kwale County, for treatment. After observation, the doctor told him his teeth needed to be removed.

They were later removed. However, two weeks later his cheek started to swell to the point he could not eat any solid food.

"At first we thought the swelling was due to the removal of the tooth but after a month when the swelling continued we knew something was wrong," he said.

Juma said his brother was taken to the hospital and the doctors directed that he undergo a biopsy.

The results showed that the tumour on Juma's brother's cheek was cancerous and he had to start treatment immediately.

"My parents did not want to accept that my brother had cancer so they took him to a local healer. The healer told us that my brother was possessed and needed to be treated," he said.

A month later Juma's brother passed away.

Juma believes if his brother had followed the right treatment then he would be alive today.

Juma's brother is just one of the many cases where cancer patients in the region lose their lives because they seek treatment when it is already too late.

Fanice Bwayo Chairperson of Keeps Hope Alive, a community-based organisation in Kwale County that deals with giving cancer patients psycho-social support said most people see cancer as a death sentence.

Fanice Bwayo, Chairperson of Keeps Hope Alive. (Photo: Mishi Gongo)

The community-based organisation is made up of cancer survivors, cancer patients and well-wishers who support each other to ease the emotional and financial burden that comes with cancer.

"Some people chose to reject reality and opt for traditional methods to cure the condition. They believe it is a curse or witchcraft," she said.

The chairperson said because of this, chances of getting timely medical attention are compromised.

She said more campaigns are needed to create awareness about the disease.

Bwayo said the group seeks to give hope to cancer patients.

"If we stand before the public and testify that we are healed then people will stop being afraid. They will realise that it is a disease like malaria and any other curable disease," she told The Eastleigh Voice.

Bwayo is a cancer survivor after she has tested negative for seven years now.

Bwayo also says the high cost of cancer treatment has pushed many patients to seek treatment from traditional healers which are cheaper.

"We ask the government to make cancer screening and treatment free of charge like HIV/AIDs, if they can provide HIV patients with free ARV drugs why not extend the same support for cancer patients," she posed.

She notes that cancer treatment is very expensive, and the cost of treatment has made some quit the process.

NHIF only pays for chemotherapy, radiation and surgery if needed.

However, the initial screening is the most expensive.

Another cancer survivor Joseph Ngumbao, says he was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2019.

He underwent the treatment successfully. However, he now says he has a challenge in getting stoma bags which he uses to deposit stool.

"Part of my large intestine was removed, and my anus was sealed now I have to use a stoma bag to remove stool. But they are too expensive for me. A bag goes for Sh2,000 and they can only be used for three days and then be changed otherwise one risks getting an infection," he explained.

Joseph Ngumbao, a colon cancer survivor. (Photo: Mishi Gongo)

Ngumbao is a casual labourer at a shopping mall in Diani earning Sh20,000 per month.

"Sh6,000 is too much especially if it's a person with other responsibilities like taking care of family members," he said adding that the bags cannot be found in Kenya hence they have to import from abroad.

He called on the government to work with counties to support cancer patients.

Bwayo says currently their organisation has 60 cancer patients on treatment, 35 cancer survivors and another 60 who are on medication.

Another cancer survivor Amina Mwazondo said that she discovered that she had breast cancer while taking care of her sister who had been diagnosed with breast cancer.

Mwanzondo lamented cancer cancer treatment. She said she has to move from Diani to Mombasa every day to get treatment.

"It is a struggle for cancer patients. In Kwale we do not have a cancer centre so we have to go to Mombasa to seek treatment which is tiresome and expensive," she said adding that crossing the Likoni Ferry Channel is hectic because of the distance.

Mwanzondo is now three years cancer-free after eight successful sessions of chemotherapy.

Another cancer patient Lydia Sasanu said when she discovered that she had cancer, doctors asked her to get an NHIF because of the costly treatment.

However, after following all the procedures NHIF rejected her proposal. She had to wait for almost one year.

When she went back to the hospital, it was discovered that her cancer had already progressed to stage three.

"I blame the health workers instead of asking for money they could have attended to me before the cancer had progressed," she said.

Sasanu called on health workers to always offer their services before asking for cash.

"If they had attended to me, the disease would not have come to this," she said.

She also called on the Kwale County Government to open a cancer centre where patients can easily access information and treatment.