New cancer therapy center opens in Kenya
South Africa’s leading radiation therapy service provider, Equra Health, under its Kenyan affiliate, has opened a Cancer Center in Kenya. It is well known that Equra Health has over the years been a leading provider of radiation therapy services in South Africa, offering oncology-related clinical, administrative, infrastructure, operational and strategic management services to its strategic partners.
“Equra Health Kenya has officially opened the Eldoret Comprehensive Cancer Center in the fast-growing agricultural and trade town of Eldoret in Western Kenya.” When fully operational, the facility is expected to “serve a broader population of 20 million people across Western Kenya, Uganda and parts of Rwanda; many of whom previously would have had to fly or travel over five hours by road to Nairobi for treatment,” APO reports.
The opening of this center as taken the company another step closer to their vision of taking over Africa, with health services like no other. Report reveals that “the company is involve in 28 affiliated comprehensive oncology centers across South Africa” which according to available information is “currently expanding into the wider African market through a new company called Equra Health Africa.”
It is added that, “in Kenya specifically, it (Equra Health) trades through a subsidiary company called Equra Health Kenya, which has a local shareholder component.” The Eldoret Comprehensive Cancer Center which is one of these offshoots “is set to provide world class comprehensive cancer outside Nairobi”
The centre seated, according to reports, “on the campus of the Eldoret Hospital, became the first facility in Western Kenya with a linear accelerator earlier this year, when it was equipped with a modern dual photon energy linear accelerator from Varian Medical Systems.” It is added that the center “has a 120-leaf multileaf collimator and a high resolution electronic portal imager, and is capable of treating patients with a wide range of electrons, 3D conformal external beam radiation and with Intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT).”
As Equra Health goes into “offering world-class facilities with the latest radiotherapy equipment, the new Eldoret Comprehensive Cancer Center can treat up to 60 patients a day and brings advanced cancer treatment to the doorstep of a region that was largely under-served in terms of advanced radiotherapy.”
Report confirmed that “the new Eldoret Comprehensive Cancer Center was officially launched with a facility tour, followed by a reception at the Boma Inn Hotel on Thursday, 6th July, 2017.
Speaking on the new accomplishment of the company, Mr. Erhardt Korf, CEO of Equra Health Kenya Limited, noted that Equra Health’s “philosophy has always been to take comprehensive oncology services closer to where people live and work. In South Africa too, we invest in centers outside of the major metros to deliver advanced cancer treatment to those who cannot easily travel to the major cities.”
He explained that “By bringing this treatment closer to people, we enable them to continue working and benefit from the support of their families, as well as eliminating the costs of travel and accommodation in a major metro.”
Contributing to CEO’s talk, Dr. Opakas disclosed that the achievement has been a cumulative of efforts over sleepless nights, noting that the vision of the company has always been their guiding principle.
“The opening of the new center represents a new dawn of quality cancer care in this region. The start of radiotherapy services is the fruit of many people’s hard work over the last 24 months, and we are looking forward to serving the community in Kenya and surrounds with our quality service and excellent patient care. We believe that positive clinical outcomes matter most, and that value in healthcare is always a function of both the outcomes achieved and the cost paid for the services.”
Correspondent: Olayiwola A. Ridwan