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{
    "id": 1110351,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1110351/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 337,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. (Eng.) Hargura",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 827,
        "legal_name": "Godana Hargura",
        "slug": "godana-hargura"
    },
    "content": "equipment so that these specialist health workers can work in those areas at the higher level. Otherwise, we will still have to refer them to Nairobi. Madam Temporary Speaker, there is need to have this kind of body especially when it comes to employment and transfer across the counties and different levels of Government. That is why we have this body. I have listened to what most Senators have said here. This is an advisory board. What Sen. (Dr.) Ali was doing was to amend and try and improve. What is coming out through is why we should not come up with a body not an advisory one? That is a body, which has the capacity to carry that function of getting all health workers in one pool and being able to transfer them across the country. That way, we can have that ability to move the staff around. Coming to the Bill itself, the first part of the amendment is about the composition of the Kenya Health Human Recourse Advisory Council. The amendment is removing unnecessary national Government representation in terms of the director of health. I think the Principal Secretary (PS) is covering it. There is no need of having the director of health there. Then there is the Attorney- General’s representative. Then the two slots go to the council of CPSBs. Madam Temporary Speaker, taking into account that if most of these health workers are unionised, how can we get the unions at a level in this kind of a body so that they can advise? It is easier to have your issue addressed when you are on the table than when there is nobody representing you there. How do we get the unions in at that level? When it comes to the issue of the functions of the council, I can see what the sponsor of the Bill did. The item one is what was contained in the original Bill. He has put it under one then introduced the other functions now of the advisory board. My concern is that if you look at part (b), the employment issue is already a county government function. Therefore, whatever advisory that should be there should also be directed by county governments. Madam Temporary Speaker, then on the issue of promotion of health workers, we have to look at what the existing regulations are. I am sure there must be existing regulations. On training of healthcare staff professionals, there must be some staff development programmes for the healthcare staff. We need to enhance those ones. In the case of remuneration, there is the issue of Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC). The staff under this category fall under the purview of the SRC. Who will this advisory be given to? Will it be SRC or the Cabinet Secretary (CS) for Health? That is why Members are saying that we should enact clear laws, which are binding or directed to a particular institution that can implement them. Otherwise, if you are just advising maybe the CS for Health, and remuneration is an SRC issue, then it will not meet the required purpose. Madam Temporary Speaker, I support the Bill, but Sen. (Dr.) Ali needs to take all those views into account, sharpen it and have the advice being directed to the relevant bodies that can make those decisions. Also, maybe with time, see how a body - not an advisory one – which can make decisions on behalf of the health sector staff can also be crafted within or maybe outside the same Act. That way, we can have a body which can competently handle the issue of the healthcare staff. The main aspect is the issue of inter-county or intergovernmental"
}