A Nairobi resident was moved to tears while delivering a heartfelt appeal to President Uhuru Kenyatta during a prime time bulletin after hitting a dead-end in her cancer treatment.
Speaking to K24 TV on Saturday, May 16, Jane Njeri, a resident of Kangemi area, disclosed that she was finding it difficult to continue with her cancer medication in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic.
She explained that she is not from a rich family and that her husband is just a hustler adding that her situation was worsened when she lost her job.
Subsequently, she noted that she was forced to skip some treatments after her National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) card expired two months ago while medication maintained at a staggering Ksh120,000 per dosage.
"I do not have the ability no matter how much I try. I can't say I have all that money for treatment.
"I told the doctor to allow me treatment for two months because I did not have even a penny. My husband is just a hustler," stated Njeri.
She was scheduled to undergo 18 cycles of therapy but only underwent 16 and hence appealed to the president to find a way of making the cancer medication available for free.
"I would suggest that NHIF should pay for all the appropriate medicine. I appeal to NHIF and Uhuru to have the card settle the payment because people don't have the ability to foot the exorbitant bill.
"The president should consider making the cancer medication free. If HIV medicine was found and it is free, even cancer. Wherever he is, I hope he is hearing me," added Njeri amidst sobs.
Medical practitioners are fearful that cases of cancer were likely to spike after the pandemic calms down following lapse in treatment as a huge number of patients avoid hospitals for the fear of coronavirus.
Others have previously lamented that the grounding of international flights dealt them a blow as they were required to access medication in foreign countries.
{"preview_thumbnail":"/files/styles/video_embed_wysiwyg_preview/public/video_thumbnails/4oTqzF5sDMU.jpg?itok=IKSRe1al","video_url":"","settings":{"responsive":1,"width":"854","height":"480","autoplay":0},"settings_summary":["Embedded Video (Responsive)."]}
