The Meru Hospice is seeking funding to establish a resource centre with ward facilities, chemotherapy and radiotherapy units for cancer patients.
According to Gladys Mucee, the Meru hospice administrator, this will ease the burden of home visits and enable patients with no caregivers to get better services.
“We want to give better care to the patients who are suffering at their with no one to look up to,” said Gladys.
She said that the hospice is also intends to start projects like fish rearing and poultry keeping to empower the terminally ill.
Gladys also appealed to sponsors, both the National and county governments and well-wishers for support towards achieving the same.
The Meru hospice administrator spoke during a clinic day for the patients, where Cancer victors also took time to send a message of hope to the patients.
Sister Irene Kathure of Nazareth sisters, who is a breast cancer victor, called on care givers and families of cancer patients to express love, hope and support to them.
“Cancer doesn’t kill, all the patients need is hope and moral support from the family and the community. We also need to focus on a good diet and follow the doctor’s advice” she said.
Beth Gakii, who is also a breast cancer victor observed that despite many challenges, patients should have hope.
“Cancer is not a death sentence. Even if it has reached stage four, you can still recover. Cancer is treatable like any other illness” she said.
Geoffrey Kinyua, a victor, whose illness was detected last year, lauded the palliative care the patients are getting from Meru hospice.He also called on the government to bring cancer treatment services to the community.
“Many cancer patients in Meru are suffering for lack of radiotherapy services. They are being forced to seek services from far. Our appeal to the government is that the service is brought closer to cut treatment cost,” appealed Kinyua.
He also called on men to embrace regular medical checkups, citing many male cancer patients are detected at an advanced stage.
“When detected early, the disease is easily managed. Let all men embrace regular checkups as many wait till late” he added During the clinic day, the women were taught on how to make locally made breast prosthesis to complement the imported ones
