Cancer treatment time will narrow to one week from an estimated 37 to 51 days following the unveiling of an advanced machine by the MP Shah Hospital in Nairobi.

Besides reducing treatment time, Elekta’s Versa HD is designed to minimise the burden of radiation in patients by delivering the doses directly to the affected healthy tissues.

Subsequently, Health Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS), Dr Mercy Mwangangi said this will improve treatment outcomes for patients and reduce radiotherapy side effects.

“The high precision treatment techniques that the new radiotherapy machine we are inaugurating today will offer will enable better accuracy in tumour targeting by our oncologists with the protection of the critical surrounding structures,” she said yesterday when she unveiled the machine at the Health Care Global Cancer Care Kenya (HGCCCK) Centre within the hospital.

Observing that cancer treatment is one of the major cost drivers for chronic disease globally, Mwangangi identified the critical role the private sector plays in health care service delivery including for cancer.

“I urge the private sector to help us address the high cost of cancer care in the country to make these services more accessible for the majority,” she said noting the government looks forward to the continued collaboration with the private sector in reducing the cancer burden in the country.

For this to succeed, she called on the hospital to register with the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) by also updating the monthly payments to enable access to the various packages it provides. “The oncology package, for example, has been beneficial for many cancer patients who would otherwise not have been able to access treatment services due to lack of finances,” Mwangangi.

The unveiling of the machine will provide clinicians with the dual flexibility to deliver conventional therapies to treat a wide range of tumours, as well as high-precision targeted therapies for treating highly complex cancers.

Dr Manoj Shah, the chairman of MP Shah Hospital the machine will treat a broad spectrum of cancers, and patients in Nairobi can now utilize the service for better treatment outcomes.

“As an integrated treatment system, it helps address the evolving challenges of modern-day cancer management while providing patients with best-in-class treatment and high-quality clinical care,” he pointed out as once again the country’s profile as a medical tourism destination moved a notch higher.

Others who were present included Dr BS Ajaikumar,  the Executive Chairman, Healthcare Global Enterprises Limited, and Habib Nehme, Executive vice president, Elekta.

Nehme said the Elekta Versa HD can treat up to 150 patients in a day.