Entry Instance

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

{
    "id": 1092181,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1092181/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 226,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kajiado North, JP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Joseph Manje",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 1669,
        "legal_name": "Joseph Wathigo Manje",
        "slug": "joseph-wathigo-manje"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker for giving me this chance to contribute to this Bill. I support this amendment Bill, the National Hospital Insurance Fund (Amendment) Bill, 2021, because it anchors the health sector properly and it gives the legal structure for the National Hospital Insurance Fund card to function properly on the ground. From Independence, our founding fathers were talking of providing health and making sure that we reduced poverty and illiteracy. We have been fighting for these three issues all along. To some extent, we have succeeded on illiteracy because our education system is functional and we have so many educated Kenyans. We are struggling with poverty and health as a country. So, I think we should try to use any method, any means to alleviate ill health from our people. When we go to the ground, Kenyans are suffering. Most Kenyans currently are vulnerable. If you go to your office today to see your electorates, most of the issues that they have, apart from bursaries for education, is health. They will tell you they have people in hospitals, their relatives went to hospitals and died and they cannot get their bodies. So, we have to do something as a country to alleviate this problem. One of the ways is to ensure that the kitty that we give towards the NHIF is catered for. Then we can put it under proper management. So, I tend to think that if we follow the proposal in the Bill properly, we can do that. The Bill is proposing that the minimum contribution by Kenyans should be Kshs500, especially for those who are employed. If somebody contributes Kshs150, the employer should match by contributing Kshs350 to make a minimum of Kshs500. This will make sure that there is enough pool to make sure that the accredited hospitals have drugs. The Bill is also proposing that everybody who has attained the age of 18 years will pay towards this kitty. It will be compulsory for anybody who is 18 years and above to contribute towards this kitty. We would want the board to do civic education because many Kenyans do not have good information on what this kitty does. You get somebody who has a card, he goes to hospital and does not know what it caters for. So, I tend to think that the board has to do a lot of civic education by using any forum. Wherever there is any forum, the management of the board should send officers to go and educate Kenyans on this issue. Also, we should make sure that we accredit as many hospitals as possible at the grassroots and make sure the accredited hospitals are properly evaluated and have medicines. Once you contribute that amount and your card is up to date, you expect that if you go to hospital, you will get treatment. So, this is another area the board should check. This Amendment Bill is giving the board powers to get good CEOs through competitive recruitment and the CEO will be reporting directly to the board. I think this is a good arrangement because when such a thing happens, the board will be in a position to supervise the management. So, I support the Bill and hope it will alleviate the poverty that we have on the ground. There is no much pain as somebody who is sick and cannot go to hospitals because he cannot afford. Those who manage this kitty should also be human enough not to pocket the money. Do not eat from the poor and the sick. Make sure that you manage this kitty properly so that we can alleviate illness from our countrymen. Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, I support."
}