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{
    "id": 1087330,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1087330/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 107,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. (Prof.) Ongeri",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 124,
        "legal_name": "Samson Kegeo Ongeri",
        "slug": "samson-ongeri"
    },
    "content": "That is why one of the major recommendations that must always happen is that this must be an integrated service within the normal health service provision in the country. You cannot start segregating what is mental and what is not mental because technically, all of us are mentally ill in one form or the other. Even when you have a disease, you go through depression, anxiety and some level of self-interrogation wondering what happened to you in life. I believe that we will have an urgent policy where all cases that have some level of mental illness will be able to go to normal, county and national hospitals. Only those who have a pathological process that gives an acute psychological problem can be separated to be treated and the underlying cause taken care of without much ado. I think that this is the most important part and I am happy that we must provide mental leadership. This policy must be adhered to so that we do not start discriminating people who are sick in one form or the other. For me, it is critical that we accept that we are sick, we need help, and we need to be taken care of in a general hospital, outpatient clinic, health center and dispensary. There should be no discrimination. Those who have the propensity of criminalizing the illnesses in their own rights will need some level of isolation. I am happy that this is largely a preventable condition. It is preventable in the sense that if you remove the offending agent, by all standards, these people are normal. You just need to remove the offending agent. It may be that the circumstances we are in are what cause and trigger mental illness. Like now, the lack of school fees may trigger mental illnesses. The pandemic and the very nature of the things we are going through at the moment can cause mental illnesses. Madam Temporary Speaker, no wonder we now see a lot of suicidal tendencies. A lot of people are taking their lives because of reaching the extreme end of life. They see that there is no life whatsoever that is worth living, so they unfortunately take their lives in a manner that is not acceptable in the normal society. This policy at the national and county level is prevention, promoting the wellbeing of society and systems so that they can have a normal mental perspective and a panorama that reflects happiness rather than being demented and depressive and, therefore, causing harm to themselves, their neighbours or to the community in which they live. I am happy that this policy attains to both the preventive and promotive aspects of mental health. The most typical element that we must accept and appreciate is that putting the budget for mental health is important so that people can have access to quality mental health, so that they are not discriminated against in any manner. That also applies to our medical schools. When I was teaching in the medical school, we looked at mental health as an integral part of the training of our medical students when they become doctors. It is important that we appreciate this. It is only then that they will be able to branch off to specialize in the special interest of taking the preventive and the promotive aspect of mental health, and also dealing with the pathological disorders that may arise out of mental illnesses. They are best suited to be able to differentiate a mental case and what is not. Some of them may just pass for normal illnesses, but creating depression in their level. 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."
}