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{
    "id": 1235880,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1235880/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 216,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Laikipia East, TSP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Mwangi Kiunjuri",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Hon. Wamuchomba has said that a patient in her county was referred to another hospital, and they could not move her because they did not have the means to transport the patient. A week ago, in my own county, a house burnt down. Three people died instantly and one was referred to KNH. It took almost eight hours to move that patient. By the time he arrived in Nairobi, he was pronounced dead. Eight hours were enough to save the life of that gentleman. Kenyans are suffering because we have no means of handling emergencies. It is important for us to come up with amendments to ensure that emergencies are treated as such. No one knew that the house would burn down that night. No one can predict when an emergency will occur. It is important to have subsidised facilities, free transportation and referral for emergency cases in this country. As Members of Parliament, we should ensure that poor people in this country do not continue suffering because they are not financially stable. We should also gazette all institutions that are qualified to handle emergency and referral cases. The Member is asking that we ensure that adequate measures are taken to establish that the health institutions which patients are referred to within and outside the country, possess adequate equipment and personnel. This should be done early enough. Let us gazette all the private hospitals, county and national Government facilities that can handle referral cases. This will ensure efficiency and that our patients are referred not in favour of certain institutions, doctors, or a friend to a doctor, but because those facilities qualify to handle those cases. We are asking for comprehensive reforms in the health sector. We should also re- introduce this debate through either a national conversation or a referendum. Some of those issues need to be re-looked into again. There are counties that are willing to hand over their facilities to the national Government. The mechanism for this to happen must be properly established. It is high time we looked at health issues in the Constitution that affect our people. The most important thing that a government can do for its people is to ensure that they are properly fed and they have access to proper education. Above all, healthcare is very important in any country. I have no reason to oppose this amendment. Let us support this amendment. We should ensure that all the serious institutions do not wait until a Member of Parliament brings an amendment for them to tell us that they are in the process of implementing. Let the stakeholders come together and if they have a better way of doing so, they should bring their ideas to any Member and we will amend the law accordingly. I thank you."
}