President Uhuru Kenyatta stated that the Kenyan government procured 360 dialysis and 48 renal units in the last six years, which is eight times the number procured by his predecessors throughout their administrations.
Mr Kenyatta stated on Madaraka Day that the country only had one renal unit and one dialysis equipment between 1963 and 1978, underscoring the achievements made during his two terms.
Bunnaj Africa learnt that when Mr Kenyatta’s administration took over, the late President Daniel Arap Moi built one more renal unit, while former President Mwai Kibaki added four more, bringing the total to six.
“Coupled with the NHIF card, this uprated health infrastructure has restored the dignity of families previously condemned to disinherit their children because of disease,” said Mr Kenyatta in Kisumu yesterday.
He cited the situation of a kidney patient who had to travel 70 kilometers three times a week for dialysis from Siaya to Kisumu, which he described as a “tragic indignity.” He added that the patient’s condition was exacerbated by the fact that he required 10 dialysis sessions every month.
“If one session costs between Sh9,000 and Sh16,000, it means that the patient has to spend between Sh90,000 and Sh160,000 every month. How many subsistence farmers from Siaya can afford that every month for dialysis?” posed Mr Kenyatta.
“This is what poverty of dignity looks like. I am happy to note that the patient from Siaya does not have to travel 70 Kilometres to Kisumu for treatment. There are dialysis machines in Siaya at the sub-county level,” he said.
