City doctors give African citizen a new life

BANGALORE: Twenty-five-year old Peter Kironji travelled all the way from Africa to a city-based cancer hospital which offered him free treatment for the stage four Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, a tumour of the lymph nodes.“The mission hospital in my country did not have the facility to treat me so they referred me to Kenyatta National Hospital in Kenya. The oncologist told me I have to undergo six cycles of chemotherapy and just the drug would cost close to 200,000 Kenyan Shilling ($2500). I knew I could never arrange that kind of money and I was in a dilemma where to go. I thought my end was near,” said Peter.However, Peter was relieved when he was assured free treatment for seven months in India by the doctors of HCG who organised the cancer detection and treatment camp in Nairobi.Dr Sridhar P S, consultant, oncologist, who initially reviewed Peter’s case said, “When I examined his medical condition, I was sure that this form of cancer, with right treatment is curable.”Dr Radheshyam Naik, consultant, medical oncologist, HCG, said, “Hodgkin’s Lymphoma is a tumour of the lymph nodes. After the tests, we found the cancer had spread to the bones of the left shoulder and right pelvis. Even in stage four, Hodgkin’s lymphoma has got a good cure rate.”