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{
    "id": 1143141,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1143141/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 373,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kitui West, WDM-K",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. (Ms.) Edith Nyenze",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13513,
        "legal_name": "Edith Nyenze",
        "slug": "edith-nyenze"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, for giving me this opportunity to contribute to this important Bill by Hon. Owino. There are community health volunteers who are lay individuals of varied backgrounds who serve various communities. They have received only short trainings on health issues and they have volunteered to engage with the community. They are doing a noble job. To get into community health work, you need interpersonal skills such as listening. These health workers can also conduct counselling. I congratulate them for doing a good job. They do this yet they do not have the necessary tools. They interact closely with the communities they serve. All the time, they bring awareness to their communities. In doing so, they bridge the gap between the communities and health facilities. They expose patients to the right medications. But these health workers do not have the necessary skills, equipment and finances. They are supposed to move from one place to another. They are not even given airtime to reach their clients. This is very discouraging to them. They are really ready to work, but they do not have the necessary skills. I congratulate Hon. Owino for this Bill. Many community health workers come to me asking for transport and airtime. I know one of them who interacts with HIV and AIDS patients. She is also HIV positive. She has a lot of work. The other time she was telling me they do not have medication and she is the one who is supposed to talk to the patients and encourage them so that they do not give up in life. I remember she told me I should give her some money to buy something for the patients so that they feel needed and loved in society. No one cares for them. Whoever is doing this has no financial support from anywhere. It is therefore, important to have health work regulated and be under a body, even if it is an authority so that the Government regulates what they do. In doing so, they would be trained, licensed and have a payment structure. They would also have some working schedule so that they are recognised and would be reporting to someone so that they are not just left on their own."
}