Dr David Makumi, the Kenya Network of Cancer Organisations chairman. PHOTO | FILE
By STELLAR MURUMBA, smurumba@ke.nationmedia.com
In Summary
Rent-seeking doctors are pocketing up to Sh100,000
for every patient they refer abroad for specialised treatment, a cancer
specialists lobby group has said as the stash of hard currency spent on
medical tourism hits new highs.
The Kenya Network of Cancer Organisations said deep-pocketed
foreign hospitals have established a cartel of unscrupulous medical
practitioners to ensure a stable flow of patients.
“It is known and I can go on record saying that
some healthcare providers are getting kickbacks of up to $1,000
(Sh102,000) per patient referred to hospitals in India for cancer
treatment that Kenya has capacity to handle,” said chairman David
Makumi, who is also an oncologist.
“Personally, I have been approached (by the agents
of foreign hospitals) but when I threatened to report them to the
anti-corruption agency, they took off,” he said in Nairobi Thursday
during the launch of American Cancer Society Source Programme.
Kenya has lately developed a substantial capacity
to treat cancer. Experts, however, say radiotherapy infrastructure in
private hospitals is idle 40 per cent of the time.
On Thursday, Dr Makumi said rather than being
motivated by clinical judgment, the decision to send patients for
treatment abroad has mostly been driven by commercial consideration of
some doctors.
“Four in every 10 patients diagnosed for
radiotherapy do not show up. When you follow up, you find they were
advised to go seek treatment abroad yet radiotherapy is standard whether
in India, New York or Kenya,” he said.
Data from the Ministry of Health indicates that
Kenyans spent about Sh8 billion on health services abroad, depleting the
country’s foreign currency reserves by the same margin.
Dr Makumi also wants the National Health Insurance
Fund cover for cancers to be inclusive of all patients and not just
civil servants “since there are many Kenyans who still cannot afford
basic treatment”.
Currently, cancer patients referred from Kenyatta
National Hospital in Nairobi to private hospitals get a reduced rate for
radiotherapy.
A cancer patient may require up to 30 such
treatment and administration of drugs would cost one about Sh20,000 —
in the referral plan — compared to about Sh100,000 normal charge.
Kenya still faces a shortage of oncologists and
equipment for diagnosis of some “complicated” types of cancers hence the
uptake of medical tourism.
Medical Practitioners and Dentists Board CEO Daniel
Yumbya said only cases of delayed or specialised treatment not
available in Kenya can be recommended by doctors to facilities abroad.
He told the Business Daily that rogue doctors should be reported to the board for appropriate disciplinary action.
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