MTRH CEO LEADS MULTIPLE MYELOMA AWARENESS COMMEMORATION
Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) Chief Executive Officer Dr. Wilson K. Aruasa, MBS, EBS, today, March 14, 2022 led Hospital Management Team and Staff in awareness creation along several streets in Eldoret Town to pass a message on prevention and management of Multiple Myeloma disease.
Multiple Myeloma is a blood malignancy arising from plasma cells in the Bone marrow. The disease accounts for almost 10% of blood cancers affecting people aged above 40 years; with a higher percentage being men.
In an elaborate session that included stop overs in Eldoret Town Centre, Dr. Aruasa gave a clear message to people to embrace measures such as exercising regularly and adopting a healthy lifestyle.
“Risk factors for Multiple Myeloma include age, gender, exposure to agricultural chemicals and petroleum products. We also see from clinical research that family history plays a role in shaping occurrence of the disease in some people,” said Dr. Aruasa.
The CEO also indicated in his address to the public that people working in petroleum related industries and farmers develop the disease, meaning exposure to some fumes and chemicals also play a role.
He acknowledged the support extended to MTRH by Ministry of Health- Department of Non-Communicable Diseases and National Cancer Institute.
He also singled out Moi University College of Health Sciences and the Consortium of North American Universities led by Indiana University for their critical role in research that continues to shape patient care in the Hospital.
Dr. Beatrice Melly, a Clinical Hematologist in the Hospital said MTRH has treated at least 400 patients, saying in the year 2021, Multiple Myeloma became the 4th commonest malignancy in the Hospital.
Director of Hemato- Oncology, Dr. Jesse Opakas said some cases are brought in at advanced stage posing a challenge in management. He ,therefore, appealed for continuous sensitization to stem the trend.
Multiple Myeloma patients are attended to in the Hospital’s Hemato-Oncology Directorate and AMPATH Multiple Myeloma Program.
” Multiple Myeloma Program focuses on; Patient Care, Patient Support, Training and Dissemination of Information.”
MTRH leads treatment and management of Multiple Myeloma in 25 Counties and beyond.
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