Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 1012209,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1012209/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 348,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. M. Kajwang’",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13162,
        "legal_name": "Moses Otieno Kajwang'",
        "slug": "moses-otieno-kajwang"
    },
    "content": "Madam Deputy Speaker, I rise to support the Motion by the Standing Committee on Health. The question is: Why would someone go to MP Shah Hospital and not to a public hospital? Obviously, it is because our public health sector has collapsed. In many of our counties, our medical workers could be on strike for an entire month without noticing. Not too long ago, health workers in my county were on strike for an entire month and there was no outrage. In fact, when I sought to intervene in the matter, there were those who thought I was being a busybody. We have run down our public health sector to a level where people do not care and people do not recognize it. This person could have gone to a public health facility if our priorities were right as a country. There are certain social public goods and services that we cannot play with. Privatization has gone too far. When it comes to healthcare, education, provision of security and provision of food are things that responsible governments are supposed to guarantee and provide to their citizens. Unfortunately, because of warped up policies in this country, these sectors have largely become privatized. Many of us are just one medical bill away from poverty. Those who call themselves middle class, if they did not have medical insurance or NHIF, one medical bill or invoice will send them to poverty that will last for more than one generation. When you are so poor that you cannot take your children to school because you have used all the money to pay medical fees, your children are put in the same penury and vicious cycle of poverty. Madam Deputy Speaker, we need to rethink the private health sector in this country. They need to be better regulated. This takes me to the second point on the role of regulators and the role of overseers. Parliament is an oversight institution. We have established regulatory agencies and bodies by law and they report to Parliament. I have heard the Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Health, Sen. (Dr.) Mbito, recommend that this hospital ought to be fined a certain amount. When I look at the powers of Parliament to impose a fine on a private or public citizen, that power seems only to be found in the Parliamentary Powers and Privileges Act where you are going to fine somebody for contempt of Parliament and defiance of summons. I do not know whether this is becoming legislative overreach. When you recommend that MP Shah Hospital be fined a certain amount of money, are we taking the role of regulator? We are supposed to do it. I hope that the Motion that we are discussing is crafted in such a way that it is not the Senate that is imposing the fine, but the regulatory agency that is imposing the fine. Finally, this is more of an in-house issue. I think we need to reorganize our reports fairly well. Many of us have struggled to get a copy of this Report. It has far- reaching implications not just for M.P. Shah Hospital. It has implications that will guide the relationship between this and other private health service providers. If we would have had a much detailed consideration of the Report, perhaps we would have made much informed decisions. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}