Garissa Cancer Centre leads regional fight against surging cancer cases
Cancer is the third leading cause of death in Kenya and second among non-communicable diseases.
Head and neck cancer constitutes the largest percentage of patients undergoing treatment at the Garissa Regional Cancer Centre.
Categorized collectively as squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck, these cancers typically originate in the squamous cells lining mucosal surfaces within the head and neck, including areas such as the mouth, throat, and voice box.
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Although they can also be initiated in the salivary glands, sinuses, or muscles and nerves of the head and neck, such occurrences are considerably less common.
Garissa, one of the five regional cancer centres launched by former President Uhuru Kenyatta alongside Mombasa, Nakuru, Kisumu, and Nyeri, hosts an ultra-modern facility as part of the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) pillar.
Developed through a partnership between the national and county governments, the centre is well-equipped with the latest technology to provide comprehensive cancer care.
Fatuma Hassan, the facility's coordinator, notes a significant increase in the number of patients treated daily since the centre's inception as a fully-fledged treatment facility.
The centre now attends to around 100 individuals per day.
Fatuma attributes this rise to heightened awareness and the centre's emphasis on screening, treatment, and palliative care.
“We are receiving referrals from across the country because we don’t have a backlog and a long list of patients waiting to be cared for,” she said.
The facility has become a national referral point, receiving patients from various parts of Kenya due to its efficient and expedited treatment processes.
Health CS Susan Nakhumicha during a tour of the Garissa Regional Cancer Centre on February 4, 2023. (Photo: Ministry of Health)
“We take a shorter time to treat patients. We have patients from across the country including Lamu, Wajir and Mandera, Nakuru, Kisumu and even Nairobi who visit our facility for treatment,” she said.
Early cancer treatment
With head and neck cancer being the predominant concern, Fatuma underscores the urgency of early cancer detection for optimal treatment outcomes.
The centre, since its operationalisation, has addressed the growing number of cancer cases not only in Garissa County but also in neighbouring counties in Northern Kenya.
The most prevalent cancers among men in Garissa include prostate, oesophagal, and colon cancers, while breast and cervical cancers top the list for women.
Garissa Regional Cancer Centre has high-tech equipment offering comprehensive cancer care for patients. (Photo: Yunis Dekow)
An upsurge in oesophagal cancer cases at the county referral hospital has prompted calls for investigations into its root causes.
The facility's coordinator assures patients of the expertise and advanced equipment available, emphasizing the team's commitment to providing secure and improved cancer services.
The Cancer Care Centre is staffed by experienced oncologists, medical officers, pharmacists, oncology nurses, medical physicists, and radiotherapy technicians, all dedicated to delivering the highest quality care.
Chemotherapy services have been available since 2019 at the referral hospital, but patients were previously seeking radiotherapy treatments in Nairobi and overseas.
Fatuma urges residents of Northern Kenya to take advantage of the local centre's capacity, saving resources otherwise spent on transportation, accommodation, and other expenses associated with seeking treatment elsewhere.
“People in Northern Kenya should take advantage of the opportunity that a centre with such capacity is within their reach and should capitalise on it to save resources,” she told The Eastleigh Voice.
“A lot of money is used for transport, accommodation, food and other expenditures when the patients decide to go out of the region for treatment. This can be saved.”
The coordinator said the county government will conduct a sensitisation exercise to create awareness of the available services.
Cancer is the third leading cause of death in Kenya and second among non-communicable diseases accounting for seven per cent of the overall mortality rate.
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