Everyone in the healthcare
field has a role to play in palliative care.
This was the message to
health care providers attending the Kenya Medical Association Scientific
Symposium on Oncology held at the Kenya International Conference Center last
Friday.
Speaking during the
symposium, Kenya Hospices and Palliative Care Association (KEHPCA)’s
Coordinator for Pain Relief Dr Esther Muinga said that 80% of patients with
life limiting illnesses present with moderate to severe pain while 50% of patients
with HIV present with the same.
Dr Muinga said that
management of this pain is crucial for comfort of these patients with life
threatening illnesses.
She indicated that more
than 30% of cancer can be prevented by avoiding risk factors like smoking and
alcoholism.
Dr Muinga added that there
is a challenge in selling the concept of palliative care to hospital
administrations but progress has been made with support from the Ministry
of Health.
She challenged the medical
practitioners to give support to patients in need of palliative care since over
40 centers in which they practice have a palliative care service unit.
The symposium run
concurrently with a free two day basic screening for cancer at the Kenya International Conference Center (KICC) grounds
where hundreds of city dwellers presented themselves for the exercise.
Among the cancers screened were
breast and prostate with most attendees undertaking the Body Mass Index
test.
Most of those screened said they came
to capitalize on the free screening and know their cancer status because they have
heard that it is a killer disease and it is costly to treat if diagnosed late.
They urged the government
to make screening available in the rural areas since those people have a little
understanding of what cancer is and take such illnesses to be acts of
witchcraft.
The screening exercise was part on the ongoing campaign by KMA dubbed ‘Bila Cancer Society’ (a society without cancer) aimed at creating awareness about cancer using activities scheduled across the year.
Partners on board for the
screening event were Aga Khan University Hospital, Karen Hospital, The Beacon of
Hope Clinic as well as Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital.
Leave a Reply