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{
"id": 1143091,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1143091/?format=api",
"text_counter": 323,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon Anthony Oluoch (",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "I want to begin by underscoring that community health workers for a long time have been unrecognised and largely work us volunteers. If I use an example of my own constituency, we have around 580 community health workers working as volunteers and in the entire Nairobi County, there are about 7,320. If you do the arithmetic, you will see the gap that needs to be filled in terms of human resource and health professionals,at the lower level of basic health care in our dispensaries. So, this is a crucial Bill. The only thing I need to add is that on top of it being said to be a money Bill, it is important because it comes out very clearly and removes community health workers from people who just volunteer their time. It realises they are people like us, they are mothers, uncles, aunties and have children they need to take to school. Therefore, some form of remuneration is important, so that they are able to make a living. That brings me to Clause 5 which happily establishes a council. I believe and hope that over and above all the roles and objectives I see there, the council will do resource mobilisation from both the national Government and county governments. Also, look for multilateral donors and civil society so as to fill the gap that the Government is unable to fill, so that these people can work collectively and efficiently. Looking at Clause 5, it is important to note that with the establishment of this council, they will assess the qualifications of community health workers. So, it is not just anybody who can appear and say they are community health workers. They will also ensure maintenance of standards of practice as we have with other professions such as the medical profession, dentists, the Pharmacy and Poisons Board and others. There will be standards of how they need to carry out their work and especially clinical standards which they will offer at the lower level. Also, they will establish a professional code of conduct, look at disciplinary measures as well as keep records and a database of the number of community health workers. I have just indicated that in Nairobi alone, my count tells me they are between 8,000 and 10,000, but how many are they in the country? This database is important so that as we plan for the UHC, we are able to see the people who offer a complimentary role at the local level, and be sure how many they are. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, I also want to indicate that the importance of community health workers can be looked at in three parallels. Community health workers are what paralegals are to the legal profession or lay pastors are to the religious sector or nyumba kumi people are to the Government at the lower administration level. So, their importance can neither be over emphasised nor gainsaid. I also want to underscore the role of community health workers of carrying out functions that are person centred. This is important because when you go to hospital, sometimes because of the pressing needs of time or the number of people the doctors and health professionals have to deal with, they do not have that one-on-one empathetic approach towards dealing with persons. Community health workers go to the villages and households to offer psychosocial support. So, this is the crucial difference they are able to bring. They can address the determinants of health at the local level. Community health workers can address the determinants of health at the local level as they promote access to healthcare by the vulnerable people such as persons with disabilities, the elderly, widows and persons living with HIV. This access is a crucial component of the UHC and that can also not be over emphasised. When we talk about access, you will realise that Article 43 of the Constitution guarantees each person the right to access the highest attainable standard of 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."
}