Former Harambee Stars captain Dennis Oliech has appealed to the Government to consider putting up more cancer facilities across the country to help contain the dreaded disease.
Speaking to Jalango TV, Oliech lamented that most Kenyans ended up losing their loved ones helplessly given they lacked the financial muscle to meet the high costs of treatment in private hospitals.
“There are very many people who are dying in the villages simply because they lack money to be treated in private hospitals or be flown outside the country for treatment," said Oliech.
″That’s why I am sending a passionate plea to the government to expedite the construction of cancer hospital in every county. This will go a long way in saving the lives of all those who are suffering in the village across the country. That’s my sincere request.”
“Most of the hospitals in the country lack the capacity to grapple with the illness and some of the medics are actually quacks who are only after money, ” added Oliech.
Oliech said he had watched helplessly as his mother Mary Auma and brother Kevin both succumbed to cancer in 2018 and 2020 respectively.
In a recent interview where he disclosed some of the challenges he has faced on a personal level, Oliech said he had spent at least Sh40 million on his mother and brother.
“I have regrets, yes, but I was doing this to treat my mother and brother (Kevin). My mother’s hospital bill came to around KSh40 million and we had to pay around Ksh84 million for Kevin’s bill, you cannot hold on to an asset and your relatives are ill and need your help.
″The problem was maybe we did not appeal to the public to help us cushion the financial burdens” said Oliech.
Kevin, a former Mathare United and Thika United player had battled cancer in his final four years in Germany before succumbing to the disease.
Apart from Mathare and Thika, Oliech also turned out for other Kenyan Premier League clubs including Nairobi City Stars, Tusker, Ushuru and defunct Securicor.
Oliech said that local herbalists had also taken advantage of the situation by charging patients exorbitantly.
“The herbalists have also taken advantage of the situation and they are smiling all the way to the bank by selling drugs to the desperate people out there. I'm afraid my mother resorted to herbal medicine which to some extent quickened her death. Her memories make me very sad.
