Cancer patients on Monday staged a peaceful protest outside the Social Health Authority (SHA) offices in Upper Hill, Nairobi, calling on the government to review and increase the medical coverage offered under the national health insurance program.
The protest, which began around mid-morning, briefly disrupted traffic along the busy Upper Hill roads as patients and their caregivers carried placards and chanted slogans demanding fair healthcare funding. Videos and images from the scene showed patients holding banners reading “Ksh550,000 Is Not Enough” and “Cancer Treatment Shouldn’t Be a Death Sentence.”
The patients lamented that the current Ksh550,000 limit allocated by SHA for cancer treatment is grossly inadequate to cover the full cost of care. They noted that the amount barely covers a few chemotherapy sessions, leaving families struggling to pay for surgery, radiotherapy, and essential medication.
“Cancer treatment in Kenya is expensive. A single round of chemotherapy can cost tens of thousands of shillings, while radiotherapy sessions cost even more. How can Ksh550,000 cover all that?” asked one protester, who has been undergoing treatment for breast cancer.
The group called on the Ministry of Health and the SHA to revise the coverage cap upwards to reflect the true cost of cancer management, which can easily run into millions of shillings per patient. They also urged the government to enhance support for public oncology centers to reduce waiting times and dependence on private hospitals.
SHA officials acknowledged receiving the petition and promised to engage stakeholders to review the benefits package under the new Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) framework.
For many patients, however, the plea is urgent. Without expanded coverage, they fear that thousands of Kenyans battling cancer will continue to face financial ruin or be forced to abandon treatment midway.
