The Government is setting up an Integrated Molecular Imaging Center (MIC) at Kenyatta University Teaching, Research and Referral Hospital.
The Center is expected to take off today with the signing of the contract between General Electric (GE) and the Hospital, the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Mutahi Kagwe said during a tour of Muranga County where he opened an
Outpatient Block at Kiriaini Mission Hospital.
The Center which will be the first Public Molecular Imaging Center of its kind in the country, as well as, East and Central Africa, will be ready for use in next nine months, the CS said.
“Henceforth there will be no need for Kenyans to go to India or South Africa to access PETSCAN machines, and other key equipment to diagnose and treat Cancer,” the CS said.
He said the Center will set up the first Public Manufacturing Plant for consumables, used in the PETSCAN Machines. This manufacturing plant is called a CYCLOTRON, and is only available in South Africa and North Africa.
He confirmed that His Excellency President Uhuru Kenyatta, having approved the project to save lives of Kenyans, who wait for long periods to get proper and fast diagnosis of cancer, will be breaking the grounds for the project in the next few weeks.
However, the CS highlighted that equipment alone are not enough to ensure delivery of health services to the people. “The need to have specialized human resource cannot be gainsaid,” he added and announced that an additional 20 Cuban Doctors from Henry Reeve Brigade, will be arriving in the country tonight, to offer services for the next six months.
“These are specialized doctors in internal medicine, oncology, cardiology, renal and pediatrics. With the Covi-19 cases rising, these specialist doctors will go a long way in supporting our doctors in managing the disease,” he noted and thanked the Cuban Government, through Amb. Ernesto Gomez Diaz for this kind gesture.
