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{
    "id": 588479,
    "url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/588479/?format=api",
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    "speaker": null,
    "content": "After all, what is the priority of county governments if it is not the health of the people who are living in counties? Mr. Temporary Speaker Sir, I know that anti-retroviral drugs have become a serious matter where many people who are suffering are not receiving these drugs on regular basis. One of the reasons is that the bureaucracy at the national Government does not allow people to receive these drugs quickly. Therefore, with the devolved system of Government, purchasing drugs directly from the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) and with added responsibility as given in this Bill, I see no reason and there will be no excuse for counties not to take the matters of HIV/AIDS seriously. The committees which are proposed to be formed will guide county governments in ensuring issuance of drugs, testing and ensuring that even those patients eat nutritious food. Last time, I said that there are certain patients who, because of the poverty that is at the grassroots level, the powerful drugs are not effective. When you give them to a patient who has not eaten, they do not help. Therefore, there is need for nutritional food to be equally provided to HIV/AIDS patients so that they eat food with vitamins – I understand omena is very good for that matter - and energy so that when the drugs are taken, they are useful to their bodies. It is only in this and other poor countries where people living with HIV/AIDS are known because they have no access to drugs and they do not have nutritious food to keep them healthy. In developing countries, you cannot recognise an HIV/AIDS patient, because they are looked after and eat very well and take the drugs regularly. Mr. Temporary Speaker Sir, I am advocating that the committees should not only be formed, but they should also be given resources. Again, I have said “resources” because the committees that were formed by the national Government in districts have failed because they were not given resources. So, these committees must be given resources and their recommendations must be implemented effectively. One of the recommendations I am sure must be the provision of drugs, testing and – though it may sound very far-fetched – the provision of food for those who are unable to be given food by the county governments. County governments have money for disasters, but instead of using that money on the people, governors use it for campaigns. They use it to transport people to rallies and carry red carpets and toilets for governors. So, it is high time that we took the necessary action to ensure that county governments do the right thing and give priority to health matters. There is no other priority that is more important than looking after our people as far as health matters are concerned. I support."
}