By Tony Wafula
Bungoma Members of County Assembly (MCAs) are now calling on the Ministry of Health (MOH) to ensure that they stock primary healthcare facilities with Hydroxyurea medicines to allow sickle cell patients access them with ease.
Hydroxyurea is a medicine that can help people who have sickle cell disease to maintain their blood cells round and flexible, so they flow better and deliver oxygen to the body more easily. This means less pain and fewer trips to the hospital.
Speaking in Bungoma during the health stakeholders meeting on Thursday, West Bukusu ward MCA Job Mukoyandali said there are many sickle cell patients in Bungoma that have been neglected by the county government of Bungoma adding that it’s high time the county government allocates resources towards stocking of facilities with Hydroxyurea.
“As we roll out programs to support patients with other ailments, let us consider sickle cell patients by ensuring that they access Hydroxyurea at dispensary levels,” he said.
Mukoyandali stated that sickle cell patients spent a lot of money in health facilities saying that the government’s decision to include Sh6, 300 on the new health scheme, Social Health Authority (SHA) won’t help the patients.
“Sh6,300 cannot cater for someone battling sickle cell. These people spend millions in hospitals whenever crisis arises therefore the government should come up with plans to address this,” he said.
The DAP-K MCA called on the health CS Dr. Deborah Barasa together with her team to revive the SHA package and ensure that high packages are included on the common diseases for the people who are unable to afford medication.
According to the Bungoma County report, it shows that most of the sickle cell patients hail from Bumula Constituency.
The first- term MCA also highlighted the importance of using the community health promoters (CHPs) to sensitize the communities on the importance of sickle cell screening before getting married.
“The ministry of health should use the CHPs to get all the total number of sickle cell patients in the whole county and attach them to specific facilities where they can access medication free of charge,” he said.
His sentiments were echoed by Milima ward MCA Jerusa Aleu who said that sickle cell patients go through a lot of challenges while seeking medication.
Absolom Simiyu, sickle cell survivor and Chairperson of the Bungoma Non- communicable disease advocacy chapter, told people daily that they decided to form an advocacy group to help in advocating for sickle patients for them to get advanced medical care.
“For many years sickle cell patients have been neglected, that is why I decided to call for this conversation with the county policy makers and find a way of sorting these challenges,” Simiyu stated.
He added,” Policy makers should consider addressing medicine stock- outs which is the biggest burden especially in Levels II and III in the county,”
Ends
