The government is setting up an Integrated Molecular Imaging Center (MIC) at Kenyatta University Teaching, Research and Referral Hospital.
Speaking during the daily press briefing on COVID-19 Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said, the Center will be the first Public Molecular Imaging Center of its kind in the country, as well as, East and Central Africa.
The Center which will be ready for use in nine months, will see no need for Kenyans to go to India or South Africa to access PETSCAN machines, and other key equipment to diagnose and treat Cancer.
“The Center will also set up the first Public Manufacturing Plant for consumables, used in the PETSCAN Machines,” said CS Kagwe, adding that “this manufacturing plant is called a CYCLOTRON, and is only available in South Africa and North Africa.”
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President Uhuru Kenyatta, having approved the project to save lives of Kenyans, who wait for long periods to get proper and fast diagnosis of cancer, will be breaking the grounds for the project in the next few weeks.
While acknowledging that equipment alone is not enough to ensure delivery of health services CS Kagwe announced that twenty more Cuban doctors will arrive Friday to help the country fight COVID-19 pandemic.
“Indeed, the need to have specialized human resources cannot be gainsaid,” noted CS Kagwe.
The doctors specialized in internal medicine, cardiology and renal will be stationed at Kenyatta University Referral Hospital after their arrival to manage the disease in the country.
“With the COVID-19 cases rising, these specialized doctors will go a long way in supporting our doctors in managing the disease and in exchanging skill development,” he said.
The team which is from the Henry Reeve Medical Brigade will be in the country for three months which the Health CS said could be extended to six months.
The Governments of Kenya and Cuba have since 2018, partnered to improve health care services in the country, through an exchange programme.
This partnership has seen Kenyan doctors receive specialized training in Cuba, and Cuban Doctors provide health services throughout the country.
