Persons with non-communicable diseases plead for medicine

Persons with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Homa Bay want the county government to provide drugs at the sub-county hospitals.

Through the Homa Bay County NCD Patients’ Organisation, the persons with NCDs expressed concern over lack of drugs in public hospitals in their sub-counties.

The organisation chairman Edward Ochieng’ said persons with NCDs are suffering due to lack of medicine in public hospitals.

Speaking in Homa Bay town during a meeting convened by the NCD Alliance Kenya, Ochieng said most patients are forced to spend about Sh2000 on transport to access drugs for managing their conditions.

The most common NCDs in the area are sickle cell, diabetes, epilepsy, hypertension, and asthma.

Ochieng said NCD drugs are currently provided by a non-governmental organisation in three health facilities in Marindi Health Center, Homa Bay County, and Nyalkinyi Health Center in Homa Bay Sub-county.

“A person travelling from Ungoe or Nyandiwa in Suba South Sub-county has to spend about Sh2000 to get to Nyalkinyi to pick their drugs. It is very expensive, but we cannot survive without the drugs,” he said.

Ochieng, who is diabetic, called on the government to avail the drugs in the nearest hospitals.

“Persons with NCDs are suffering due to lack of drugs for managing their conditions. We appeal to the county government to help us by providing NCD drugs in our nearest health facilities or at least Sub-county hospitals,” he said.

Terry Odero who suffers from sickle cell called for provision of the drugs to prevent emergency cases in the event the NGO providing the medicine changes its programmes or quits.

“We are worried that if the NGO changes its programmes or quits, we will not get NCD drugs. That is why we appeal for provision of the drugs any time soon,” Odero said.

Lovina Akinyi, who is epileptic, urged the National Government to reduce taxes on NCD drugs.

“I used to buy drugs in Kisumu at Sh3,600 every month, but the cost of the drugs has shot to Sh7,200 today. We appeal to the National Government to reduce taxation on NCD drugs,” Akinyi said.

Homa Bay County NCDs Co-ordinator Silus Mado said the county government had begun putting measures in place to provide the NCD drugs at sub-county hospitals across the county.

“The county government is working with the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority, Red Cross, and other agencies to provide NCD drugs in sub-county hospitals.  NCD cases are high in the county, but we are trying our best to manage them,” Mado said.