Sickle cell patients in Kisumu County have petitioned the Social Health Authority (SHA) to classify the condition as a critical illness to cushion them against high costs of treatment.
Caroline Mabunde, a sickle cell warrior and advocate, said many patients were languishing at home without access to treatment amidst rising cases of the disease in Kisumu.
Speaking in Kisumu during a town hall meeting organised by Willow Health Media to take stock of SHA since it was rolled out in October last year, Mabunde said most of the health facilities in the area lacked essential drugs forcing patients to pay for treatment out of pocket.
Apheresis - a life-saving procedure used to reduce sickling crises, she said remains prohibitive to most of the patients since it is not covered under the current SHA benefit package. "People are suffering in silence," said Mabunde. "This is not just a treatment; for many of us, it is the difference between life and death.
