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{
"id": 1062213,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1062213/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Olekina",
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"speaker": {
"id": 407,
"legal_name": "Ledama Olekina",
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"content": "Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, under Section 36, 38 and 42 of the Public Health Act, Cap 242 on rules of prevention of disease, power of entry and provisions for multinational responses respectively, the Ministry of Health, through the Office of Director of Medical Services, is empowered to require any person, owning or having charge of any land or any building or dwelling, not occupy it or any person owning or having charge of tents, transport, bedding, hospital equipment, drugs, foods and other appliances, materials or articles urgently required in connections with an outbreak to hand over the use of any such land or building or to supply or make available any such articles subject to the payments of a reasonable amount as hire or purchase price. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, in such a time as this where this country is in a crisis, we demand that the provision of the Public Health Act be put in full force and that the Cabinet Secretary (CS) for Health use the powers that have been bestowed on him to ensure that no patient is turned away from any hospital, whether public or private, due of lack of space or bed capacity. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I wish to inform this House that in response to the escalating number of confirmed cases and deaths attributed to the COVID-19, the Standing Committee on Health held a series of meetings with various health stakeholders that were aimed at getting a clear understanding of COVID-19 pandemic situation and chatting a way forward. These include, but are not limited to- Government agencies and departments, including the Ministry of Health, the Council of Governors (CoG), the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC), the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA), the Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB), the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KeBS), the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) and the Kenya Medical Laboratory Technicians and Technologist Board (KMLTTB). Representative of health workers groups, including unions and professional associations at the county branch level such as doctors, nurses, clinical officers, allied workers and private sector representatives, including the Kenya Health Federation (KHF) and the Christian Health Association of Kenya (CHAK), et cetera. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, as a result of these meetings, I have the pleasure to inform the House that the Committee on Health has today tabled the First Progress Report on the COVID-19 situation as well as the Committee Report on KEMSA. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, in addition to this, last week, Wednesday, 17th of March, 2021, and Thursday the 18th of March, 2021, the Committee on Heath met health workers representing groups, the Ministry of Health and the CoG to deliberate on the status of the national COVID-19 vaccine deployment and vaccination plan, 2021. The statement of both the Ministry of Health and the CoG have been annexed herein to the information for all the Members. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, the Committee takes note that from the meeting last week, there appears to be a high level of vaccine hesitancy among health workers, which had translated into low uptake and acceptance of the vaccine among health workers. The Committee also notes that the Ministry of Health has since opened up the vaccine to members of the public, thereby driving up the uptake. However, in view of the fact that health workers remain uniquely vulnerable to infections, the Committee notes"
}