Dozens of cancer patients in Western Kenya are undergoing free life-saving surgeries, as Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH), hosts an international surgical camp, targeting breast and soft tissue tumors.
The Camp, which brings together Kenyan specialists and surgeons from the European Institute of Oncology (EIO) in Italy, has drawn patients who had abandoned treatment due to the high cost of surgery.
Among them is 54-year-old Anne Florence Akinyi, from Siaya County, who was diagnosed with stage-four breast cancer in 2022.
What began as a small swelling, slowly grew into a painful wound. Doctors placed her on chemotherapy and medication at JOOTRH, but without stable income, she struggled to buy medicine or even pay for transport to Kisumu. Eventually, she stopped attending her clinic appointments and stayed home, hoping the swelling would shrink.
The relief lasted only briefly. Early this year, the swelling returned larger and more aggressive, and by October, the wound was bleeding so heavily that she wore layers of cloth beneath her dress to avoid staining her clothes.
Three days ago, exhausted, she returned to JOOTRH for help. “Sometimes I could not even sit down properly because the blood would leak. I was very tired,” she said from her hospital bed.
After review by a surgical oncologist, she was admitted and scheduled for urgent surgery during the camp.
On Monday afternoon, she underwent a modified radical mastectomy- complete removal of the left breast, performed by a team of Kenyan and Italian specialists.
The operation ordinarily costs more than Sh. 134,000, but with coverage under the Social Health Authority (SHA), her surgery and follow-up treatment are being paid for in full. “The pain is gone now,” she said, smiling faintly. “I am thankful that this help came.”
In the same ward, sits 22-year-old, Abigael Siabire, from Kakamega, who has lived with a breast lump for two years. At first, she ignored it, but soon the difference in size between her breasts became visible.
The changes affected her confidence, especially in school, and she eventually deferred her studies to look for treatment. Her family visited several hospitals in search of answers, but the tests and consultations were expensive, and progress was slow. “It was frightening because I didn’t know what it meant,” she said adding: “I’m just waiting for the surgery, so I can get well and go back to school.”
The Four-day surgical camp, which runs from November 4 to 7, is conducting procedures, including mastectomies, breast-conserving operations, breast reconstruction, after mastectomy, reduction mammoplasty and removal of soft tissue sarcomas.
JOOTRH doctors say at least several major operations have been completed successfully, with more patients on the waiting list even as the camp comes to a close.
The visiting Italian surgeons are working alongside Kenyan specialists from JOOTRH and Maseno University, supported by oncologists, anesthetists and oncology nurses.
Doctors say the partnership is helping the hospital address a backlog of cases that require specialized surgery.
“ We are seeing many women presenting with advanced disease,” said one of the specialists coordinating the camp. “Some of them delay treatment because they don’t have money. Others simply don’t know where to seek help. Now that SHA is covering surgery and follow-up care, more patients are coming out.” Breast cancer remains the most diagnosed cancer among women in Kenya.
Data from the National Cancer Institute of Kenya shows the country records more than 6,700 new breast cancer cases every year, and about 70 percent of them are detected late.
By the time many patients seek care, the disease has advanced, wounds have opened or the pain has become unbearable.
Western Kenya has seen rising numbers of patients seeking oncology services, with doctors attributing the surge to increased awareness, late diagnosis and limited access to specialized care in county hospitals. JOOTRH, the largest referral hospital in the region, has been expanding oncology services, including surgeries, chemotherapy clinics and screening programmes.
For patients like Akinyi and Siabire, the surgical camp has offered hope they once believed was out of reach. “I had lost strength,” Akinyi said, her voice soft but steady. “Now I feel like I can live again.”
by Chris Mahandara
