MNH opens a well women clinic for cancer treatment

MUHIMBILI National Hospital (MNH) has inaugurated its State-of-the art clinic known as ‘well women clinic’ to be used for checking up cancer related diseases at the biggest referral hospital which have been affecting women’s health in the country. The inauguration ceremony takes place in line with today’s International Women Day (IWD) on Saturday last week whereby the MNH celebrated the occasion by recognizing various development stages in relation to women’s health. The establishment of a clinic which has the capacity of checking over 30 women a day is located at the X-ray building at the hospital’s premises. However, during the inauguration women who attended the occasion received free medical service as an offer. But this will change during normal working days from Monday to Saturday when the clinic will be open whereby after check up and once found to have been affected will be liable to pay Sh. 10,000 for check up and another Sh. 20,000 as contribution for treatment immediately. The MNH’s Director of Clinical Services Dr. Praxeda Ogweyo said. She also noted that, there will be fast track service which will be in every Saturday, in this service patients would be required to pay Sh. 140,000 inclusive with the amount of check up. She said, the MNH hospital has decided to open up such a clinic in order to reduce the increased high rates of disease infections and deaths which occur due to cancer on women’s reproductive systems. The International women day is celebrated under the theme which says that, “Stimulate changes in order to bring gender equality”, she said adding that, the message educate and put awareness to the community, the government, civil societies and religious institutions to recognize the importance of women day to bring gender equality. Dr. Praxeda noted that, there will be five services to be offered by the clinic centre which includes the diagnosis on cervical cancer, beast cervix cancer, cardiac and pancreatic related diseases and education about menopause for women including signs and how to overcome the situation. Others she noted are the education for women youths in relation to their various reproductive systems and how to get prepared to receive pregnancies and many others.   

A specialist at Well Women Clinic which has just been inaugurated at Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH) explaining something to a visiting woman at the clinic center a moment after its inauguration.

She said the NMH’s management has decided to establish a clinic for check up to help women as most of them do not know their health status if are affected by cancer related diseases or not. She said most patients suffering from cancer related diseases becomes aware of such infections once such diseases have become so chronic and no longer avoidable, a result of which most of them dies earlier while receiving treatment. She said stigmatization as related to such diseases among the infected patients has become a big problem in the country an aspect that causes the delays for such patients to be taken to hospital for treatment. However, she said adding that is another reason why the MNH has decided to combat with the spread and control of the disease. In order to prevent such deaths from occurring, Dr. Praxeda noted that, “this is the reason why the MNH has opened up a clinic for regular check up on these diseases” Quoting the national medical statistics on the mortality rates caused as a result of the disease, she said that out of 100,000 affected women in the country, about 40,000 dies annually. Various world statistics shows that, about 11 million women who are at the age of reproduction are at risk of infection from cancer related diseases. This is a warning sign for women which the government has to take drastic measures to save their lives, she said. Dr. Praxeda further expounded the medical statistics at East Africa region and noted that, out of 100,000 women living in East Africa region about 30,000 of them have been infected by the cancer related diseases. She also note that, in most developing countries in the world, cancer related diseases are discovered to be harmful to infected patients at the last stage when such diseases are chronic, citing the main reasons are due to insufficient centers for check up and lack of education on  the disease by people.