Memorandum of Understanding signed to elevate quality and expand coverage of cancer care in Kenya; Vision to improve regional access to cancer care beyond country limits; Long-term Value Partnership including consulting services, diagnostics and imaging solutions, cancer therapy, maintenance and education programs.

Redhill Cancer Hospital, under the umbrella of RVL Healthcare Ltd, and Siemens Healthineers are partnering to improve essential cancer care across Eastern Africa. To the backdrop of rising cancer cases globally and especially in Africa – with forty-five thousand new cancer diagnoses and almost thirty-thousand cancer-related deaths in Kenya alone per year (Global Cancer Observatory 2022) – the two parties agreed to collaborate in building an integrated Cancer Center and Research Park in Nairobi, Kenya. The Memorandum of Understanding was signed during the recent US-Kenya Business Forum held in Washington, D.C. between Dr. Leela Prasad Pamidimukkala, Founder and CEO of RVL Healthcare Ltd, and Vivek Kanade, Managing Director of Siemens Healthineers, Middle East & Africa, in the presence of His Excellency Dr. William Samoei Ruto, President of Kenya, and Ambassador Meg Whitman, United States Ambassador to Kenya.

Dr. Leela Prasad Pamidimukkala, Founder and CEO of RVL Healthcare Ltd., commented: “Our vision is to build Africa’s most comprehensive Cancer Center and Research Park focused on offering high quality diagnosis services, cancer treatment and groundbreaking research. As an institution, our mission is to provide affordable cancer services to our people and to people in Africa. With Siemens Healthineers as our partner, we are on a journey of reshaping Africa’s oncology landscape by using modern technologies and innovative solutions to provide affordable cancer care for the wider region, while making a significant contribution to achieving Kenya’s goals for Universal Health Care.”

The understanding comprises not only of advisory services for the initial construction of the facility, but also includes the provision of state-of-the-art diagnostics, imaging and treatment equipment along the entire oncology pathway. Siemens Healthineers will also support the healthcare facility’s sustainable long-term growth strategy with capacity building programs, from physical trainings to remote engagements and AI-based services. The educational programs will be a key contributor to countering the shortage of skilled healthcare professionals in Africa, helping to elevate and future-proof the local healthcare infrastructure.

Vivek Kanade, Managing Director of Siemens Healthineers, Middle East & Africa, added: ”Together with Redhill Cancer Hospital, we follow the vision of creating a world without fear of cancer. We are pleased and humbled to be working on this monumental facility with RVL Healthcare, which we envision will bring a ray of hope to the lives of millions of patients and their families. By joining forces to build this unique Cancer Center and Research Park, we will be one step closer to realizing the vision of making essential cancer care more accessible, which ties into our company’s purpose of making healthcare more affordable and accessible for everyone, everywhere.”

Through the integrated approach across the cancer pathway, Redhill Cancer Hospital will provide a one-stop solution for patients from across the region, significantly improving access to care, while reducing the number of people traveling abroad for treatment, consequently supporting the local economy.

For the Research Park, which will be directly linked to the hospital, the two parties will collaborate with educational institutions and pharmaceutical companies, creating a nexus for cutting-edge research in oncology and a hub for training and education of current and future healthcare professionals.

Construction for the unique facility, which aims to conduct up to 200,000 cancer screenings and 4,000 surgeries per year, is planned to start in August 2024. The facility is set to open its doors to patients by the end of 2025.