Any positive development in the public health sector, which continues to grapple with technical and managerial challenges, is worth celebrating.
The commissioning of a new radiotherapy machine at the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) presents a lifeline to cancer patients and eases the agony of their families.
It has been a tough time for cancer patients as radiotherapy waiting times at the KNH had more than doubled in the financial year ending June 2025.
The new equipment is a welcome addition to the existing radiotherapy infrastructure at the hospital.
The state-of-the-art Linear Accelerator (LINAC) machine provides a much-needed lifeline to hundreds of patients. The advanced equipment, which is capable of treating between 50 and 120 patients daily with precision, significantly eases the immense financial strain on families.
This addition to the Oncology Centre comes as a big relief to the public health sector. It follows the increase of the Social Health Authority (SHA) oncology benefits package to Sh800,000.
The SHA has struggled to ensure the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) delivers the quality medical care Kenyans deserve.
The SHA had been expected to perform better than the 60-year-old National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) that had been bedevilled by shortcomings, including corruption.
But the SHA has also, in just a year of operation, been defrauded of billions of shillings by hospitals, definitely through collusion with crooked officials.
After frequent breakdowns of the old radiotherapy machine that left patients without life-saving treatment for months, the new machine is restoring vital services.
For years, cancer patients at the country’s largest public hospital struggled to access treatment after the only machine kept breaking down. It had recently stalled for many months.
The KNH’s new radiotherapy machine is a big boost. However, the government should invest in more equipment in the hospitals across the country to improve access to quality healthcare.
