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{
    "id": 1344081,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1344081/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 264,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Kimani Ichung’wah (Kikuyu, UDA)",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "provision of accessible, affordable, and quality healthcare, whether you suffer from chronic illnesses or are among those who are categorised as indigents or even the elderly in our community, or people who have no access to any productive sources of income. Under this new architecture of NHIF under the Social Health Insurance Fund, those people can access healthcare again; the Social Health Insurance Fund will cater for that. As I said, the Bill promotes the attainment of Universal Health Coverage, and that is why I am speaking right from primary healthcare to the chronic illnesses that will be catered for by this Bill. By realising Universal Health Coverage in the country, it seeks to ensure that all Kenyans have access to affordable and comprehensive quality health services. This is by providing health coverage to older persons, indigents and other vulnerable persons in our society, including persons in lawful custody. Being in prison in this country is almost like a death sentence because if you fall sick in our prison services, you are our candidate for going to heaven or anywhere else because access to healthcare is almost impossible under our current regime. But we are making sure with this Bill that even those in society who are in correctional services have access to affordable and meaningful quality healthcare. Part III of the Bill seeks to create the Primary Healthcare Fund, which will receive monies appropriated by the National Assembly, grants, gifts, donations, monies allocated for that purpose from fees and levies that they administer, and monies accruing to or received by the Fund from any other source. The Primary Healthcare Fund will care for Kenyans in primary healthcare facilities, be it Level 1, 2 or 3 hospitals or local healthcare dispensaries. The Chairperson of the Committee will tell you that, as they engaged with stakeholders in the healthcare sector, they learned that many Kenyans who are suffering from chronic illnesses like cancer or other critical illnesses would not have progressed to that critical stage if they had received proper healthcare at the primary healthcare level. That is what the Bill seeks to cure. A Kenyan should be able to walk into a Level 1, 2 or 3 facility or even a local dispensary and get the correct diagnosis. Let me go back a bit. Beyond primary healthcare in dispensaries and Level 1, 2 and 3 hospitals, if you watched and followed what the President was doing at Uhuru Park yesterday, he was not commissioning development in a hostile country, as some bloggers say. The President was commissioning Universal Healthcare services by commissioning community health volunteers (CHVs) who have been working without pay but are now being incorporated into our country's mainstream healthcare sector. The national Government and county governments will pay them. Thousands of community health promoters and volunteers will receive a stipend and the bags you saw commissioned at Uhuru Park yesterday. Contrary to what that blogger said, the President was not commissioning development in a hostile country. There is no hostility in a country dealing with a dysfunctional healthcare system. Healthcare begins with community health volunteers. With their bags, they should be able to walk into your home, take your temperature, diagnose your illness, find out whether you have COVID-19, and tell you if you need to go to hospital. They will probably administer paracetamol if you have a minor headache because they are trained for that. They will be able to measure your blood pressure and blood sugar levels. They will offer proper medical advice on what kind of service you need to seek and from what facility. The Primary Healthcare Fund will now care for you at the primary healthcare facility level. If you are a member of this Fund, you need not worry about the bills because they will be sorted out. Part IV of the Bill speaks to the creation…"
}