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{
    "id": 1021607,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1021607/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 183,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Funyula, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. (Dr.) Wilberforce Oundo",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13331,
        "legal_name": "Wilberforce Ojiambo Oundo",
        "slug": "wilberforce-ojiambo-oundo-2"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. The “CJ” is telling me his issues. Nevertheless, he is a good friend of mine. I stand to support the proposed amendment to the Health Act by our colleague, Hon. Mishra, in respect of the issue of referrals. The medical fraternity has a process for referrals. There is a possibility that it is being abused. There is a possibility that quite a number of referrals are not properly done, therefore, jeopardising the lives of very many patients in this country. However, the one that seems to have very many issues is referrals abroad. As many of my colleagues have attested, it seems to be driven by some form of a cartel. In the last few years, my constituents and friends from other places have lost many people who had purportedly gone to India for treatment. It would seem, as my colleague, Hon. Otiende Amollo, said, close to 90 per cent of those referrals are invariably to India. This begs the question of what is in India that cannot be found in Kenya. Therefore, I support the proposal. I have also read the proposal by the Departmental Committee on Health on exactly how to proceed with this particular amendment. We need to have a very structured procedure involving the patient, doctors, the Kenyan Government and health insurers. Ultimately, the responsibility of the Government of Kenya is to take care of its people. When a patient is stranded abroad, it is obvious that for the family, the first point of call will be the Government with the cry, “ Serikalisaidia!” That should not continue to be the case if we have a very clear tracking system to know which patient has gone out, who has gone to treat them and what the issues at hand are. I echo the sentiments of my colleagues. After many years since Independence and investments in the health sector, probably at this point in time, we should not be talking about referrals abroad. The country should have developed adequate capacity and invested heavily in infrastructure to enable the country to attain basic medical procedures that hitherto would have to be undertaken outside this country. It is a collective shame starting from the national Executive to the devolved Executive that at this particular time, we are still talking about referrals for basic procedures outside this country. Probably, it is even important that we put a caveat that anybody holding an executive position in this country - be it the President, the Deputy President, Cabinet Secretaries, governors and the rest - should not be allowed to go for referrals outside this country. They are not more important than ordinary Kenyans. Ordinary Kenyans are not people of lesser gods than themselves, more so, the governors. The health function is now devolved and all the funds go to county governments. It would be a travesty of justice and immoral for a governor to be flown out of the country to South Africa just to clear excess water in their eye. As a country, we need to be proud of ourselves and make sure we get value for our money. With those few remarks, I support the Bill."
}