About 97 p.c of Kenyan sufferers who search medical treatment abroad go to India, the Ministry of Health (MoH) says in its 2015-2020 report on medical tourism.
The Asian nation’s booming medical tourism business is price about $9 billion {dollars} and accounted for about 20 p.c of the worldwide market share by 2020, with an enormous chunk of these individuals coming from East Africa.
After India, the preferred locations for Kenyans seeking medical care abroad embody South Africa, the US and the United Kingdom.
A majority of Kenya sufferers who travelled to India had most cancers (36 p.c), adopted by cardiovascular illnesses (19 p.c), musculoskeletal circumstances (13 p.c), renal illnesses (12 p.c) and central nervous system circumstances (9 p.c), mentioned a well being requirements unit headed by Dr Patrick Amoth within the MoH.
“Cancer remained the highest cause of referral abroad from 2016 up to 2020. Out of all patients referred for treatment abroad, 48 percent … were referred for specialised surgery including organ transplantation,” the report says.
Others have been assessment and second opinion (22 p.c), PET scan and different diagnostic checks (17 p.c), stem cell transplant (9.5 p.c) and radiotherapy and chemotherapy (3.9 p.c).
The proportion of sufferers referred for PET scans and different diagnostic checks has declined considerably from 21 p.c in 2015 to 5 p.c in 2020, the report says.
This is as a result of such checks at the moment are obtainable at Aga Khan University Hospital and Kenyatta University Teaching Referral and Research Hospital in Nairobi.
Of the 853 sufferers authorized for treatment abroad between 2015 and October 2020, some 52 p.c have been male and 48 p.c feminine. Six of the sufferers didn’t point out their gender.
“The youngest patient was aged 4 days while the oldest patient was 86 years old. Cumulatively, the mean age was 39 years with a median age of 44 years,” the ministry discovered.
Data additionally exhibits that almost all of the Kenyans seeking treatment abroad got here from Nairobi.
“Majority of them lived in Nairobi (611), followed by Kiambu (114), Mombasa (85) and Uasin Gishu county (55).”
The report additionally exhibits that the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) lined 85 p.c of all sufferers referred for treatment abroad, whereas personal insurers paid for eight p.c.
Some 6.5 p.c of the sufferers paid for his or her treatment from their very own pockets, the report says.
Why abroad
Some sufferers interviewed by the Nation cited excessive prices of treatment in Kenya, lengthy ready intervals, and lack of specialised medics and tools as some of the explanations for seeking medical care abroad.
Indian hospitals are enticing to Africans as a result of they’re at all times prepared to do business and supply transport providers to guarantee sufferers arrive and settle in with ease, aside from partnering with actual property homeowners and inns to supply inexpensive lodging to international sufferers, mentioned Mr Akhil Dave, basic supervisor at Geetanjali Hospital in Rajasthan State, India.
“We do not expect you to land from Kenya for the first time to a new culture and environment, then start looking for accommodation all by yourself when we can make it easier by ensuring that you arrive to a fully furnished house of your choice,” he mentioned.
He added: “What makes treatment in India unique is the human touch and care given by our doctors, paramedical and all the staff generally. It makes us very attractive, backed by highly skilled professionals and advanced technology.”
Medical tourism
The Kenyan authorities says it’s also working to advance its personal medical tourism because the quantity of sufferers coming from neighbouring nations will increase.
“Kenyans and the Government of Kenya spend about Sh10 billion annually seeking medical treatment abroad, thus the urgent need to reduce … foreign expenditure and use the same funds to improve health systems locally,” the report says.
“Kenya has already attracted medical tourism from some East and Central African countries such as Tanzania, Uganda, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Burundi, Congo and Nigeria, hence the need to accelerate the presenting opportunity.”
The report says a number of hospitals in Kenya are already advertising and marketing their medical to potential sufferers within the area – Kenyatta University Teaching and Referral Hospital, Kenyatta National Hospital, Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH), Nairobi Hospital, Karen and Mediheal.
“MTRH receives about 250 patients every year from neighbouring countries seeking treatment at the facility. Most are from Uganda, South Sudan and Tanzania hence the need to improve,” the report says.
“Research conducted recently noted that the private health sector in Kenya is one of the most developed and dynamic in sub–Saharan Africa. Also, Kenya is among the top six destinations where Africans visit seeking high-end specialised medical services, hence the need to leverage on public private partnership.”
Experts say the lockdowns that got here with the Covid-19 pandemic confined sufferers to ‘African medical tourism’, the place the quantity of sufferers seeking treatment in amenities like Aga Khan Hospital went up.
Mediheal’s Parklands department obtained 50 medical vacationers within the final one 12 months, Gokul Prem Kumar, vice-president of business relations, advised the Nation.
“In the last one year we have received patients from Sierra Leone, DRC, Congo Brazzaville, Central African Republic, Uganda, Rwanda Ethiopia, Somalia, Tanzania, Burundi, Malawi and South Sudan,” he mentioned.
“Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) represent 32 percent of all global deaths and are on the rise, especially sudden cardiac deaths (SCD).”
He cited the necessity for preventive drugs, affected person schooling and consciousness.
“CVDs are directly associated with non-communicable diseases like diabetes and blood pressure, which can be managed with changes in lifestyle,” he mentioned.
“Mediheal serves patients from all over sub-Saharan African countries and many are unaware about their cardiac conditions. Only when they undergo cardiac fitness as part of any major surgery are the heart blocks identified.”
