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"id": 1400531,
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"speaker_name": "Sen. Ogola",
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"content": "Thank you, Madam Temporary Speaker. I beg to move- THAT the Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health Bill, (Senate Bills 17 of 2023) be read a Second Time. I am happy that I am moving it amidst the background that there is a challenging situation in this sector when medics are on strike. From the onset, I would like to state that medics are very important in the implementation of this Bill. Therefore, as a country and a House, we must take note of the challenge that the medics face. Earlier, I heard Sen. Cherarkey say that it is only the Council of Governors (CoG) that should take the major blame or role in solving the medics’ challenge. However, the buck stops with the President because he is the Head of State. So, he must look into the problem that the doctors have. Each one of us that has interacted with doctors knows the many years that they take as they undertake their studies. This is an area of profession where there is a lot of precision and passion. For what it takes one to become a doctor or nurse and the services they give to our people, as a country, we must look at their welfare. If you look at what the doctors are asking for, I do not think that it is too much. The Bill proposes to enhance the status of maternal healthcare to the required international standards. This Bill seeks to create a framework for the well-being of pregnant mothers, new-borns and children up to 12 years. I will start by giving a brief background. The 2022 Demographic Health Survey states that there is a percentage of women aged 15 to 19 years. Those are purely adolescents who have ever been pregnant. If you go down to the statistics, in Samburu County, it is 50 per cent; 36 per cent West Pokot, 29 per cent in Marsabit; Narok, 28 per cent; Meru, 24 per cent; in Homa Bay, my county, it is 23 per cent; Migori, 23 per cent; in Kajiado, 22 per cent; Siaya, 21 per cent and Baringo, 25 per cent. The lowest is only in Nyeri and Nyandarua counties at 5 per cent. What does that percentage indicate to us? It only indicates that as a country, we must take issues of maternal health very seriously. Let me go ahead to give some background. On the 9th or 12th October, 2023, Dr. Anne Beatrice Kihara took over as the President of the Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics (FIGO). FIGO is The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate."
}