Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has assured Kenyans that spare parts for the broken cancer treatment machines at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) will arrive in the country within the week, signaling renewed efforts by the government to restore essential cancer care services.
During his maiden visit to KNH, the CS assessed key departments including the cancer treatment centre, radiotherapy bunker, and the oxygen plant currently under construction.
The visit comes in response to a public outcry over the breakdown of the hospital’s critical cancer treatment equipment, particularly the Linear Accelerator (Linac) machine used in radiotherapy.“The machines will be up and running as soon as the spare parts arrive in the country this week,” said Duale, who reiterated the government’s commitment to ensuring that cancer patients access timely and quality treatment.
He further disclosed that plans are underway to procure additional cancer treatment machines to strengthen the hospital’s oncology capacity.
In a consultative meeting with the hospital’s Board and Senior Management, Duale emphasized the importance of accountability, leadership, and adherence to world-class standards across all referral facilities.“I commend KNH for its trailblazing achievements, including Kenya’s first laparoscopic kidney resection and the world’s first transhumeral total shoulder replacement.
These milestones reflect KNH’s global standing in medical innovation,” said the CS.While applauding the hospital’s progress, Duale also issued a stern warning to level 6 hospitals across the country, cautioning against abuse of office and operational inefficiencies.
He called on county governments to strengthen referral and primary health care systems to help decongest national referral hospitals such as KNH.
Duale urged development partners to support KNH in areas such as equipment upgrades, digital transformation, research, and specialized training, noting that such partnerships are crucial to the realization of Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
CS Duale underscored the need for unity in countering health misinformation and expanding access to quality services.“The greatest barrier to health services is not their availability, but misinformation. When we unify our efforts, it is for the benefit of Kenyans,” he added
He was accompanied by senior Ministry of Health officials including Principal Secretary for Medical Services
