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{
    "id": 1032432,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1032432/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 341,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Homa Bay CWR, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. (Ms.) Gladys Wanga",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 590,
        "legal_name": "Gladys Atieno Nyasuna",
        "slug": "gladys-atieno-nyasuna"
    },
    "content": "Before His Excellency the President lifted the measures, there was a summit where all counties were asked to give their state of preparedness. On whether they had oxygen and ICU beds, it was reported that they had so many ICU beds. If you go to the counties now, do we really have those ICU beds and are they functional? If you have an NHIF card and they offer to pay for you, what would they be paying for? I am speaking from experience because in Homa Bay County, people are really sick. Do we have facilities to deal with this issue? On NHIF, I want to agree with my colleagues, including Hon. Nyikal. For NHIF to cover COVID-19 patients, how much more funds do they need? I hope that will be the debate that the Departmental Committee on Health will have when they meet the NHIF tomorrow. I want to thank the Committee for going ahead of us. They should not just meet the NHIF but the entire Ministry of Health officials, including the Cabinet Secretary and the Principal Secretary. This is because this debate revolves around the communication by the Cabinet Secretary that NHIF will not cover COVID-19 patients. They should all be there so that they tell the country whatever they need to cover COVID-19 patients. As a country, we must look for those resources. Let us not play politics on this issue. If we play politics and they say that we stop this programme and deal with COVID-19, we will also come and state who looted the NHIF dry and the people who stole money. If we go the political way, we will not help Kenyans. If we want to help Kenyans, we should know the funding gap for the NHIF to cover COVID-19 patients. I want to agree with Hon. Maoka that this Motion is important, but will not move us to the next level because we will need the report of the Departmental Committee on Health indicating whatever the NHIF needs to cover COVID-19 patients. We will then move it to the next level and the Budget and Appropriations Committee should be able to provide for funding in the Supplementary Budget for that purpose. I wanted to make that point because Kenyans are suffering. They have been ravaged by job losses and have no insurance. How many Kenyans are covered by the NHIF? As we move forward with this conversation, we need to know what is needed. We should unite and avoid politics so that we can move forward."
}