Former Dagoretti North MP, now current Kisii Governor, Simba Arati, says they bury in the upward of 400 people a week across the wards owing to the cancer scourge.
Cancer is the 3rd leading cause of deaths and second among non- communicable diseases accounting for 7% of overall mortality rate in the country.
The annual incidences are estimated to be 37,000 new cases.
With the disease burden surging, it is estimated the country loses more than 28,000 patients per year.
On Tuesday, Arati said it had become like a ritual to them either attending funerals or burying those who have died of the disease every Thursday and Friday.
“That is how bad the situation is as we do the groundbreaking of this facility here,”, he said as President William Ruto commissioned the construction of a Sh3 billion cancer hospital near Kisii School in Nyaribari Chache Tuesday.
Kisii Assembly Nominee MCAs Lilian Gor (KNC) and Isabella Oigara (PDP) said the health of facility was godsend at a time the country was experiencing an exponential surge of the disease infections.
“This is one of the best projects the president has launched in this region. Once you invest this much at a project like it shows some level of seriousness from the president ,*, she said during a media interview.
Oigara said number of women getting infected with cancer was soaring rapidly.
“We must all join efforts in supporting this project. The onus now rests on the contractor to ensure he sticks to the time lines required,” she stated.
BY MAGATI OBEBO
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