Blood cancer on the rise, warns medic

Chronic diseases are increasing and Kenyans must be properly informed on how to handle them and spot them at the community level to stop them, medics have said.

CEO of MTRH, Dr Wilson Aruasa, on Monday said the facility was partnering with 25 counties on public awareness campaigns on chronic diseases and how communities can handle them.

The head of Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital said chronic diseases are a major burden to the healthcare system, though most can be prevented or detected early at the community level.

He said they are working with county hospitals to improve their capacity to handle chronic ailments and, hence, reduce referrals to MTRH.

The hospital handles patients from as far as Nyeri, the Coast and neighbouring countries.

Aruasa was speaking when he led hospital medics on an information walk through Eldoret town. He was focusing on multiple myeloma disease, a blood cancer that is becoming more common.

In multiple myeloma, which is rare, cancerous plasma cells accumulate in the bone marrow and crowd out healthy blood cells. It can be fatal. The exact cause has not been established. 

It causes 10 per cent of blood cancers and is the fourth leading type of blood cancer. It is more common in African men and those older than 50 years.

Its symptoms are bone pains, kidney failure, low blood pressure and anaemia, among other early symptoms.

Senior medics on the walk included haematologist Dr Beatrice Melly and Dr Jesse Opakas, a clinical and radiology oncologist.

“We have capacity to handle the disease at the MRH where we have helped most patients," Opakas said.

The hospital has detected more than 400 cases of multiple myeloma blood cancer. The main treatment is chemotherapy.

Dr Aruasa said they were focusing on the role of prevention and the role of the family unit in fighting chronic diseases.

“The model to confront chronic ailments is to start at the family level of our community in both urban and rural areas," the medic said.

He said the purpose of the awareness was to enable members of the public be able to detect chronic diseases, including cancers, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, kidney problems and mental health issues.

Dr Aruasa said only critical cases should be admitted to hospital, while others can be treated in other facilities or at home.

“We do not have to see cases like simple coughs at the MTRH because many of these cases can be handled at lower-level hospitals," he said.

Dr Aruasa said the hospital would target community groups such as boda boda riders and the matatu sector so they are aware of disease symptoms.

“We are encouraging Kenyans to keep fit," he said. "People should make sure they walk at least five kilometres weekly or exercise through other ways including working on farms manually."

(Edited by V. Graham)

“WATCH: The latest videos from the Star”