India: The medical giant and a force to reckon with in Kenya

The country was shocked this March when Medical Services Minister Anyang’ Nyong’o was in the United States for a month undergoing prostrate cancer treatment. To few others that heard this news, it came as no surprise. Kenya’s medical services fall short in many ways but above all in terms of standard and quality so it made perfect sense to go for treatment elsewhere.

Minister Anyang’ Nyong’o is not the only one flying out of the country for specialized treatment. Innumerable other Kenyans are joining the growing trend of medical tourism flying to countries such as India and South Africa for treatment.

With attractive packages such as surgery, kidney transplants, cancer treatments, among others costing as low as just a tenth of what it is in Kenya with shorter waiting periods for treatment abroad than locally, countries like India are raking in some hard cash from Kenyans.

In the Indian Medical Tourism Destination exhibition, the first ever in Africa, that was held at the KICC on the 18^th and 19^th March of this year, reports from pressabout.com showed that African countries account for 14% of India’s $8- billion pharmaceutical exports with Kenya as the third largest African market for Indian drugs.

The conference was held in light of increases in trade between Kenya and India with major imports from the latter being pharmaceuticals and medical equipments. The site quotes Dr. Naresh Trehan, CMD, Medanta – The Medicity and Vice-Chairman, SEPC, a key speaker at the conference who said that the number of patients traveling from Kenya to India was on a high rise as 2010 saw over 20,000 Kenyans who traveling to India for treatment with the number projected to increase to 50,000 in 2011. Other niche medical services offered in India that have added to the increase in numbers of Kenyans traveling to India include cosmetic surgery and Yoga.

In addition, India is making its mark in Kenya through the pharmaceutical industry with globalissues.org reporting that India’s generic drugs account for an estimated 90 percent of all drugs consumed in Kenya. The entry of these drugs into the country has helped to see the cost of a year's supply of anti-retroviral therapy down to just 88 dollars per person. India’s grip in the pharmaceutical sector holds worldwide as medicalkenya.co.ke reports that research shows more than 80 percent of donor-funded purchases of Aids medicine come from India and the country is the leading supplier of low-cost generic drugs in Africa.

Even with the global campaign by the European Union seeking to implement a new policy on ARVs, this year, Kenya stands to lose tremendously if it implements the policy. The Standard published on 05/02/2011 reports that the European Union policies will reduce the flow of affordable, life-saving generic medicines and would thus lead to higher drug prices and diminished access to medicines.

The country cannot afford the lack of India’s boost to the health sector. Reuters reports Anyang’ Nyong’o as stating that the health sector received Sh28.7 billion during the 2010/2011 financial year against Sh75 billion required to bring hospitals up to acceptable standards. The presence of Indian medical facilities such as Vimta Labs and Aga Khan hospital eases the government of the burden of rising medical costs in the country. Frontierindia.net reports that the cost of Indian investment in Kenya amounts to US $ 1.5 billion, with both countries targeting $ 2.5 Billion trade by 2012-2013. A significant amount of this investment is undoubtedly in the health sector.

With the reading of the budget drawing closer, Kenyans can only hope that they shall be eased of the increasing medical costs. For the time being, they might as well enjoy the many benefits accrued from India’s participation in the health sector.

Sources:

http://www.diasporamessenger.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=1408

http://www.globalissues.org/news/2011/02/28/8712

http://medicalkenya.co.ke/2011/02/kenya-joins-drive-to-block-new-eu-policy-on-arvs/

http://frontierindia.net/india-and-kenya-target-2-5-billion-trade-by-2012-13

http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(10)60214-0/fulltext

http://www.pressabout.com/imtd-2011-kenya-%E2%80%93the-indian-266495/


Lilian Koki   08-0739

Beat: Health sector