Cancer patients make up more than 50 per cent of Kenyans seeking medical treatment overseas.
Renal diseases take 16.8 per cent, followed by cardiovascular diseases with 7.8 per cent while skeletal disorders account for 3.4 per cent.
Kesses MP Swarup Mishra said more than 10,000 Kenyans travel abroad annually in search of medical treatment and end up spending at least Sh10 billion.
This has been blamed on lack of enough specialists and specialised medical equipment, long waiting periods especially for cancer treatment and kidney transplants and the high cost of treatment.
Many patients hope they can get a referral to India, as NHIF covers costs outside the country.
The legislator said seeking treatment outside the country is more expensive than most Kenyans think.
Mishra, who is the National Assembly health committee vice chair, said traveling abroad does not guarantee quality services.
He said the countries have both good and bad hospitals.
“There is an impression that those countries are cheap. For instance, you will have a kidney transplant at a cost of Sh500,000 here yet it costs Sh2 to 3 million without including post treatment follow up,” Mishra said.
Mishra has come up with a bill to control referral of patients outside the country.
“We are doing very well in kidney transplant and we are even getting patients from neighbouring countries,” he said.
He said there should be a clear referral system to ensure follow up is well channeled.
In 2015, the Ministry of Health found that 40 per cent of those who travelled overseas for treatment had renal diseases.
The MP said some doctors who refer patients overseas pocket as much as Sh200,000 as kickbacks.
