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{
    "id": 1109113,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1109113/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 76,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Cheruiyot",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13165,
        "legal_name": "Aaron Kipkirui Cheruiyot",
        "slug": "aaron-cheruiyot"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir, for this chance. I want to make brief comments on this emotive issue. Health is a challenging discussion that we currently have in our country. Yesterday, at the rise of the House, many Members were speaking to various challenges that our health sector faces in relation to a Bill sponsored by our colleague, Sen (Dr.) Ali. If you listened to many of the presentations that were being made by Members, then you realise that perhaps with the exception of unemployment and public debt, then our public health system is the next biggest challenge we have in this Republic. As leaders, we are challenged continually on what we can do to make sure we alleviate the suffering many of our people face on account of a failed public health system. This is one such example. From the outset, allow me to disclose that I know a brief history about how this Petition has found its way to the House. I was approached by a young lady that I know - a friend that I went to school with - and she informed me that they are in a consortium of people diagnosed with the various kinds of this particular disease. The challenge they were facing is trying to secure medication. Despite this disease being largely present and being a communal challenge to many of the citizens of this Republic, it is not covered by NHIF. I advised them to present a petition to this House, so that through our Committee on Health, because that is the only way Parliament works, we may put together recommendations and hear from NHIF as they plan a roll out of the universal health coverage that we have been hearing about for almost four years now, but with little results and progress that has been reported. Up to this particular point, prevalent diseases like cancer have not been included in the cover. This includes the medication, testing and consultation with various doctors as part of the diseases that are covered by NHIF. We know that for the greater part of the population, the challenge is so bad that we are trying to secure some foothold for those who can access NHIF. Through documents presented before this House, NHIF subscription across the country is barely beyond 25 per cent of the citizens. This means that 75 per cent of the people we represent in this House do not have any cover whatsoever. We still have a long way to go. As we speak about the changes we need to make, this is one such example. Over time, when renal failure became a very pronounced and a common occurrence amongst our citizens, it was recently added as part of the diseases that are considered and catered for, whose medication is catered for NHIF. Therefore, if you visit many of our county referral hospitals, at least on most occasions, it is not consistent. There are still challenges and you will find days that you go and are told a machine has broken down or doctors are not properly kitted. You will find that the patient has to resort to a private healthcare provider. By and large, it helps them to get by. Many of the patients had previously been told that kidney failure was tantamount to a death warrant because they could not afford the medication. Now, NHIF has made it possible for them and they can now receive medication."
}