KENYA – The Kenyatta University Teaching Research and Referral Hospital (KUTRRH) has installed CyberKnife’s stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), and stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) system, which enables clinicians to deliver precise, highly effective radiation treatment.

The investment enables doctors to better provide a diagnosis and treat tumours without damaging tissue.

KUTRRH management Board Chair Professor Olive Mugenda said the new technology would drastically cut the costs of accessing cancer treatment for Kenyans.

The machine, which was acquired at KSh675 million (US$5.3m), has the capacity to attend to 20 patients per day.

“With Cyberknife the cost of cancer treatment has been brought down to 350,000 shillings down from the current 2 million shillings charged for similar treatment,” said Mugenda.

“The good news is that we have spoken to NHIF and will be covering the cost of the whole treatment.”

KUTRRH has set a daily target of treating ten patients to manage the huge number of patients seeking the service.

“Our focus is to ensure speedy delivery of treatment, efficiency and patient comfort,” said the hospital’s CEO, Dr Ahmed Dagane.

“It will not only cut down cancer treatment costs, but we will also provide relief to families who have had to wait for ages to access treatment. Kenyans need not travel abroad anymore.”

The machine uses advanced technology to track tumours anywhere in the body, with treatments conducted in one to five sessions.

Its unique robotic design keeps radiation on target even as the tumour moves and can be used as an alternative to surgery or for patients with inoperable or surgically complex tumours.

The machine will be able to get to some organs which experts are not able to get to with the other machines due to its capability to turn around 360 degrees.

Kenya is Africa’s second country after Egypt to acquire the machine.

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