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{
    "id": 1087331,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1087331/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 108,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. (Prof.) Ongeri",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 124,
        "legal_name": "Samson Kegeo Ongeri",
        "slug": "samson-ongeri"
    },
    "content": "We need to strengthen mental health systems both at the national and county level. In the counties, those who were aspiring to be governors such as Sen. Cherargei and Sen.(Dr.) Ochillo-Ayacko, it is important we take note that mental ill-health is within the society in which we live. You must make provisions in your budget to take care of basic mental illnesses that are treatable and preventable and cause no more headache to anybody. It is just like a cough or flu. We have seen the societal pressures that if we remove the poverty among our people such that access to services is easily achieved, you will see some of these depressive elements relived. The burden of disease and attending out-patient clinic will be immensely reduced. I thank Sen. Kasanga for bringing this Statement to awaken us that there is now a policy 2021-2030 which is a robust policy. It provides that we must treat mental illness like any other illness in life. It also provides that there is both preventive and primitive aspect of mentally ill. They need not be isolated. It also provides that we should set up services and activities within the national and county level context so that these people attend like any other patient attending an outpatient clinic and can be sorted out without much ado. That policy calls us as administrators, both politicians and county administration, chiefs and others to be aware that we need to strengthen the mental health in our society and monitor any areas where these may be developed. We need to look for the primary cause of that mental illness rather than looking for excuses to banish those people to isolation in the so-called mental paradigms. This is unacceptable in the modern medical science that everybody is sick, needs help and can acquire that help when properly channeled."
}