Dr Festus Njuguna, in charge of the pediatric oncology unit at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret, explains that not all elective surgeries are non-urgent, and not all are minor. Some delayed surgeries, though, may cause harm, especially in aggressive forms of cancers.
Harm is also in delayed diagnosis. Marian Wangui, from Githunguri in Kiambu County, found a lump under her breast. In fear, the 41-year-old sought medical advice and was instructed to go for tests in July 2020. She got a breast ultrasound at the Kiambu Level 5 Hospital, but it took months for the results to return. The anguish of waiting was unbearable as “I feared that if it was cancer, and that it would spread,” recalled Wangui adding that she had no choice but to refer herself to the Kenyatta National Hospital on December 2, 2020. A month later, results revealed she had Stage Two breast cancer. Chemotherapy was scheduled right away.
According to international reports, a batch of shots has caused “serious cases of blood clots among vaccinated people” prompting the countries to halt it as the European Medicine Authority (EMA) launched investigations into the jab.
This came as Kenya’s Health ministry assured the public that so far no adverse side effects have been reported locally.
“I have not heard of any reports and we haven’t received any communication in that regard,” said Dr Patrick Amoth, the acting Health director-general. “We have not heard any cases of adverse reactions amongst our recipients.”
A recipient of the jab, Dr Amoth said he only experienced soreness at the site of injection after receiving his first dose last week, which wore off after 24 hours.