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{
    "id": 1286941,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1286941/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 166,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Oketch Gicheru",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "dancing more than me? This is because the verb here of being able to anchor the healthcare services in the country is in the management of healthcare. Then we have the definitive element – the action element. Clause 13(b), says that we are going to have the Ministry at the national level to (1) provide standards; not giving policy direction, but providing standards and guidelines to ensure that equitable primary healthcare services are delivered. We are in a country where we know that healthcare has been an issue of marginalisation to communities since Independence and here, you have a leeway where you are giving a national executive to further marginalise counties. Part (b) says that the Ministry shall consolidate and analyse national primary healthcare data from the counties and ensure a timely transmission to stakeholders to be used in decision-making. Where is the decision-making bit being done at the most? It is at the county level. If you channel data to the national Government that is going to be affected at the grassroots level, it defeats the purpose for which the Constitution was created. It also talks about facilitation of knowledge; it talks about providing capacity and it talks about coordination by the National Treasury. I would like to persuade colleague, hon. Senators, that we simply need to edit this entire section of the Bill and say the Ministry of Health shall provide resources to facilitate consultations at county level; the Ministry shall provide resources to consolidate and analyse national primary care issues at the county level; the Ministry shall facilitate the release of resources to county governments to share dissemination of information at the local level; or the Ministry shall provide money to county governments to give technical assistance at the grassroots level. This is an issue that we cannot take it lightly. This is an issue that we must stand forth as the Senate and ensure that we are enabling money to go to the grassroots level."
}