India and Kenya have signed a multi-million dollar deal for building East Africa's largest cancer hospital. The two countries signed the deal on Monday.
India would reportedly fully finance the construction of the cancer hospital in the African region in a bid to provide affordable and quality healthcare to its people.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta have agreed to collaborate on various trade measures, of which health-care would be the main focus, africanbrains.net reported.
Last year, Kenyatta, on his visit to India, had announced the establishment of the cancer hospital. However, the project could not take off. The deal was given further impetus during Modi's recent Africa visit and the construction of the hospital is now likely to begin next year.
India, which is the third largest producer of medicines in the world, would also help Kenya set up a pharmaceutical company producing cheaper, generic medicines.
Kenya's health ministry officials were quoted by the news website as saying that the proposed cancer hospital would offer chemotherapy, radiotherapy, advanced surgeries and bone marrow transplant services.
Due to the poor health infrastructure in Kenya, many patients have to travel to other countries, particularly India, for treatment options.
Cancer is one the most prevalent diseases in the West African country, with 40,000 new cancer cases reported every year.
According to africanbrains.net, the number of cancer-led deaths in the country has been on a rise over the past five years, from 11,995 in 2010 to 12,574 in 2012 and 15,714 in 2015.
India's largest chain of hospitals, the Apollo Hospitals Group, has also inked two pacts with Airtel Kenya and Kenyatta National Hospital to deliver advanced healthcare services to people in the country.
