Kenya has gone a milestone in the health sector making it a potential medical tourism destination this comes after the launch of the first bone marrow transplant at Nairobi west hospital aiming at reducing the cost of treatment overseas.
Bone marrow is a spongy, soft fatty tissue situated inside a bone that facilitates development and storage of most of body cells .immature cells in the bone marrow are called stem cells that that produces other different types of blood cells.
Bone marrow transplant is a form of treatment for complex blood disorders such as leukemia. In Nairobi west hospital the success of a two hour surgery to treat multiple Myloma has put Kenyans name at the forefront in treatment of blood disorders.
The main goal of bone marrow transplant is to cure various diseases and forms of cancer .it is also a way of replacing destroyed bone marrow may be as a result of diseases.
“One of the diseases that affects the bone marrow are diseases such as leukemia, limphomas, mylomas an so on “says Andrew Kanyi according to report by the former national assembly committee on health over ten thousands Kenyans travel overseas for treatment.
The chief medical director of the hospital says the transplant seeks to address accessibility, affordability and quality services in the country. Patients will have to pay in between 2.5 to 3.5 million Kenyan shillings to undergo the surgery as it is viewed to be lower compared to treatment overseas.
“We are anticipating it to cost us anything between 25 ,000 to 35 000 dollars and this is roughly 2.5 to 3.5 million Kenyan shillings and it will be certainly be lower than going out of the country as India is the cheapest overseas with 40,000 to 50,000 dollars” says Andrew Kanyi.
Experts says age influences the outcome and patients below the age of 65 years often have better outcome compared to older patients.
By Emmaculate Wamalwa
