Kidney patients in Kitui can now access quality and affordable medical care after the lease of five dialysis machines to county referral hospital.
The machines are part of medical equipment worth more than Sh700 million for Kitui Referral Hospital and Mwingi Level 4 Hospital. The facility will provide affordable diagnostic and treatment services.
Kidney disease deaths in Kenya were 1,508 or 0.54 per cent of total deaths in 2017, according to a World Health Organisation report.
The county does not have a kidney specialist, but the hospital’s medical superintendent John Mungai is trained to handle patients seeking dialysis services.
Dr Mungai says lifestyle diseases, including high blood pressure and diabetes, if neglected and not properly treated, can lead to kidney failure.
It is envisaged that the arrival of the machines will make it possible for key county hospitals to diagnose, treat and manage life-threatening and terminal diseases.
Cancer is the third highest killer in Kenya, accounting for seven per cent of all deaths, according to the Kenya Network of Cancer Organisations.
Lack of diagnostic equipment radiotherapy equipment has in the past led to many deaths of cancer patients.
Dr Mungai says this has changed following the arrival of the government-leased equipment for county referral hospitals.
He asked primary healthcare providers to be alert for kidney symptoms, noting that some health service providers give wrong medication.
