Man Chains Himself At Kenyatta National Hospital Protesting Lack Of Medical Equipment

A 38 year old man chained  himself on a tree outside the emergency unit of Kenyatta National Hospital yesterday  protesting lack of medical equipment. The protester whose name is David Wanjohi wanted more radio therapy machines for cancer patients at the referral hospital.

David Wanjohi had visited the facility just like any other patient on Tuesday morning and later he reportedly went on to chain himself on the neck to a tree outside the emergency unit. Wanjohi then set up banners to proclaim this urgent need for more radio therapy machines for cancer patients at the referral hospital and later added another banner announcing a hunger strike to rally support for the purchase of the equipment.

In March this year,the radiotherapy treatment at the hospital had been suspended for a week after the limited two radiotherapy machines at the facility broke down.

Radiotherapy, which is a required treatment for  over 80 per cent of all cancer cases, is offered only at one public hospital, KNH, at a cost of Sh 500 per session.

One of the machines was repaired and treatment resumed though some of the patients had to wait longer for their treatment as the repaired machine was more suited to offer radiotherapy to cervical and prostate cancer patients.