Sickle Cell
The government has been petitioned to provide free medication to sickle cell patients in the country due to the high cost of the requisite drugs. According to the Siaya County Sickle Cell Foundation coordinator Martin Oracha, drugs used in the daily management of sickle cell are too expensive for most families.
“We urge our government to consider providing free medication for sickle cell patients just like HIV and TB patients because most families cannot afford medication which goes for an average of Sh3000 per month for management,” said Oracha.
Addressing the press in Bondo, the coordinator observed that Siaya county being a malaria endemic region, sickle cell patients have frequent crisis attacks, hence they were often rushed to hospitals, which is expensive for most families.
“We have a lot of cases of sickle cell disease in the county and they come from families which live below a dollar a day. They need support because with proper access to drugs, sickle cell is no longer a death sentence and the sicklers can lead a better life,” Oracha added.
The coordinator stated that sickle cell patients have been sidelined by the county government and were not being given recognition and care like those who suffer from other ailments.
“Today we are marking world sickle cell day in Siaya but there are no celebrations to mark the day. The county government through the ministry of health should allocate funds to properly mark this day to give hope to those living with sickle cell,” he said.
Oracha on the other hand urged sickle cell patients in the region to supplement the conventional medicine treatment with herbal medicine, which he says has immense benefits. “I would advise those who are living with sickle cell condition to supplement the drugs from the hospital with ‘Martinoscam’ herbal medicine, which has numerous benefits and helps in management of frequent crisis, besides promoting health development and growth,” he said.
In 2016, Martin Oracha, a teacher by profession came to limelight after he discovered an herbal concoction that could be used in the management of Sickle cell condition. Meanwhile, according to data for the Siaya County Health Department, there were over 400 individuals suffering from sickle cell and actively seeking treatment in local public facilities alone.