Cancer patients in Mombasa County and surrounding areas are set to benefit from expanded wellness and support services following the construction of a dedicated therapy support centre at the Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital (CGTRH).
The first dedicated cancer centre of its kind within a public hospital, the facility is expected to help meet the growing demand for oncology services by providing specialised clinical care and therapy to support patients’ recovery.
“Our investment in infrastructure looks to address the delays of reaching, seeking and receiving health care, enabling Kenyans access health care when they need it, with dignity," M-Pesa Foundation Trustee Celestine Munda said on Tuesday.
"Beyond availing clinical efficiency to patients with this additional space, it will also help reduce turnaround time given the huge numbers that visit this facility seeking treatment.”
Statistics in Kenya show that at least 80% of cancer patients lack access to comprehensive care, with only 20% receiving sufficient care to manage the disease, against a backdrop of 48,000 cases diagnosed annually.
CGTRH is the only public facility at the coast offering oncology services, serving more than 3,000 patients monthly.
The Sh63 million, two-storey Faraja Cancer Therapy Centre will expand the hospital’s capacity to provide support beyond clinical care, with counselling rooms for children and individual patients, family therapy rooms and other social amenities for patients and their caregivers.
“Beyond its impact on health, Cancer affects the whole person. Their emotional wellbeing, families, livelihoods and their ability to cope, making it an incredibly difficult journey. Faraja was created to provide complementary support such as counselling, nutritional advice, physical therapy as well as financial assistance for patients who are struggling to access treatment, easing the challenges that cancer brings,” said Shaira Adamali, Founding Trustee, Faraja Cancer Support Trust.
The Faraja Cancer Support Trust works alongside the healthcare system, complementing clinical services through supportive care that often falls outside routine medical treatment.
For 16 years, the centre has supported patients from across the country through its services in Nairobi.
The new facility is expected to ease the logistical burden and extend much-needed supportive care to thousands more patients and their families.
The M-Pesa Foundation has invested Sh208 million in health projects in Mombasa County, supporting upgrades at facilities including Likoni Sub-County, Mbungoni Health Centre, Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital and Railways Dispensary.