Entry Instance

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

{
    "id": 1073135,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1073135/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 309,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Sakaja",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13131,
        "legal_name": "Johnson Arthur Sakaja",
        "slug": "johnson-arthur-sakaja"
    },
    "content": "Within the facilities as it is today, they need to provide that care. Counties which are more resourced can set up other facilities. There is also community based care and treatment of persons with mental illness. That is extremely important because we have many community health volunteers who are an asset. I do not see why many counties see them as a liability or a cost. In Nairobi, I have thousands of them. These are the ones who will tell you, “In this estate in Soweto, in this House, we have this issue. These children miss vaccine.” This is especially so within the low income areas. When I go to Kawangware and Dandora, the community has volunteers and we have always said that a portion of the budget in our counties should be set aside for community health volunteers. I keep urging the Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) and the Nairobi City County to set aside a certain amount for just stipends. I do not want salaries but just allowances. If we strengthen these community health volunteers, generally and specifically on mental health, the cases will go down. That means the strain on these facilities will go down and we end up saving. It is not a cost but an opportunity for us to cut down on costs. Beyond what the county provides, there are functions that are clearly for the CECM. Beyond that, there are the different interventions in schools for women, youth and Persons with Disabilities (PWDs). It is tailor-making because many health facilities are not youth friendly. Teenagers and youths are mainly stressed by school and relationships. They should not be chased from a facility by being told they are becoming naughty but need to be accepted. We need facilities that can listen to our young people. That is why they are rebelling and burning schools. Cases of teenage pregnancy are going up because young people are not getting someone to talk to. They are not able to express themselves or get a facility that is youth friendly. These facilities as they deal with mental health should also know how to deal with the elderly, youth and women. I am glad in Mukuru, I have one of my centres - by a friend of mine - that deals with domestic violence. Whenever we go there, we realize there is direct correlation between domestic violence and mental health issues. These centres must be able to align and deal with that because there is a spike. It is good that these things came to the attention of our Sen. Kasanga incidentally who was by then my Vice-Chair in the Covid-19 response Committee and later became the very able Chair. These centers must align and deal with that because there has been a spike. As I have said, it is good these things came to light to us. Sen. Kasanga, incidentally then, was my Vice Chairperson in the Committee on the Situation of COVID-19 in Kenya and she"
}