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KNH begs Kenyans to help fund Sh430 million cancer hostel


Three years after taxpayers lost Sh5 billion in NYS-style scandal at the Health ministry, the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) has appealed to Kenyans to help them construct a hostel to house cancer patients.

In a statement put on their social media pages, the taxpayer-funded hospital wants Kenyans of goodwill to help the raise money through an M-Pesa paybill number.

KNH says the project will be the first of its kind in Kenya and it involves the construction of accommodation facility (hostel) for cancer patients undergoing outpatient treatment at a cost of Sh230 million and establishment of an endowment fund of Sh200 million to support its operations.

The project entails construction of a three-floored building with capacity of 140 patients, a day respite area, a cancer resource centre, a restaurant and other support services.

A LONG WAY

“It is in this regard that KNH is calling upon all people of goodwill to own and support this project by contributing via MPESA Paybill No – 474444, KNH Hope Hostel. A little will go a long way. Let us come together and Give hope a home in Kenya,” said the referral hospital.

The appeal comes amid rising cases of cancer diagnosis and resultant deaths in the country.

In 2015, KNH in partnership with American Cancer Society (ACS) conducted a study on cancer patients attending outpatient clinic to determine barriers to cancer treatment.

These findings inspired the idea of a ‘Hope Hostel’ that would accommodate cancer patients as they undergo treatment.

The Hope Hostel has been designed as a multi-storey building to cater for both genders as well as children.

KNH says that the patients will be housed for a short term, so that they are available for repeated investigations or treatments.

Cancer treatment, which is offered at a subsided rate at the public hospital, is an outpatient service, making it difficult for most patients who are referred from other counties.

With no accommodation at the hospital, the patients have no option but to sleep in the corridors and wake up early to queue for treatment, which is on a first come-first-served basis.