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{
    "id": 1235852,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1235852/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 188,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kimilili, UDA",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Didmus Barasa",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " Thank you very much, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for giving me this opportunity. The Health (Amendment) (No.2) Bill seeks to amend the health laws of this country so that the Ministry of Health can develop policies that would guide the referral of a patient from one facility to another. The Bill also provides that the Cabinet Secretary concerned will, in liaison with various stakeholders, come up with policy guidelines and principles that will ensure smooth transfer of patients from one hospital to another, both locally and internationally. This is important because, as we speak today, referral of patients from one hospital to another is done haphazardly. One doctor may decide to refer a patient to a different facility simply because he is moody, tired or does not have time. Transfer of patients from one facility to another should be guided by law. Before I begin to prosecute this Bill, I would like to bring to the attention of the House that I am most thankful to the Office of the Clerk of the National Assembly. A very experienced lawyer was assigned to me. We worked together in combing existing laws and identifying gaps. As you are all aware, laws are made to solve public problems. I have gone through the Report by the Departmental Committee on Health, their recommendations and findings. I draw the attention of the House to a letter that was written to the Committee by the Principal Secretary for Health, Mr Peter K. Tum. The Committee lifted the content of the letter to form the basis of its rejection of my proposed amendments. I will go through them one by one. The Ministry says that it had developed a Kenya Health Sector Referral Strategy in 2014 to guide the whole process. It also says that it is in the process of developing policy guidelines on medical tourism, which it has already initiated."
}