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{
    "id": 1095121,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1095121/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 237,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mukurweini, JP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Anthony Kiai",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13439,
        "legal_name": "Anthony Githiaka Kiai",
        "slug": "anthony-githiaka-kiai"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I stand to support this very important Bill. This Bill tries to actualise one of the key pillars in the Big Four Agenda, that is, universal health coverage. It endeavours to make it compulsory to all persons and citizens of this country who are over 18 years to make payment to this Fund. The year before, contributions to the Fund used to be voluntary. Now this one comes to make it compulsory making sure that everyone who is over 18 years is eligible to benefit from this Fund. However, there are certain issues that I would want to raise on the issue – the fact that it talks of covering all the vulnerable members of the society. At the Committee Stage, we shall require to define who these vulnerable members are. I want to believe that when we talk about the vulnerable in the society, we are talking about the PWDs, the aged, the elderly and those who for one reason or the other may not be able to make contributions for them to enjoy the benefits that accrue from this Fund. I need to say that as we define who the vulnerable are, there are also other challenges that come up with that. For example, in my Mukurweini Constituency, we have registered all the PWDs but you realise that they do not have a medical cover. Therefore, whenever they fall sick or they have a medical challenge, they have to pay out of their pockets. Can we make it very clear that irrespective of the level of disability, they are completely covered? We also have cases of old people who are over 70 years. I remember that the Government has a social security programme where they are supposed to be getting some stipend at the end of the month but unfortunately this programme has since collapsed and, therefore, they are highly exposed. If I take like the current crisis we are experiencing, the COVID-19, these are the people who are most vulnerable. Can we also make it very clear that such categories of citizens are covered under this programme? When you say that all those who are 18 years and above should be members of this programme, do we also consider the fact that many of them at that point in The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}