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{
    "id": 141118,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/141118/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 230,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "The Ministry’s absorption capacity in the year 2007/2008 for Recurrent Expenditure with the general administration, planning and preventive and promotive items have the lowest spending rates of 86 per cent and 95 per cent. The Development Expenditure recorded a below average performance with an overall absorption capacity of only 29 per cent in the year 2008/2009. The implementation of the Ministry’s Strategic Plan requires Kshs47 billion compared to the allocation of Kshs27.5 billion for the year 2009/2010. The allocation to the entire sector is about 6 per cent of the total Government Budget compared to the Abuja Declaration of 15 per cent and Economic Recovery Strategy of 12 per cent. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, the Government developed strategic plans but the funding is far below the plan. It will be in order for the Government to allocate sufficient funds if we are going to walk the talk of meeting the requirements of the Abuja Declaration, the Maputo Plan of Action and Vision 2030. There is need for the Government to strengthen all hospitals with funds, infrastructure, personnel, equipment and medical supplies. This way, we will be able to address some of the ailments in various parts of this country. Until this is accomplished, it will be futile for the Government to continue planning but never implement the plans. There is need to create strong regional and provincial referral hospitals which are fully equipped. This will decongest the KNH and MTRH. It will be important that we provide sufficient funds to KNH. Some of the equipment in this hospital is obsolete. We have the technical personnel but it is not possible for them to effectively deliver service considering that equipment is not available. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, KNH was built long ago. It was built to cater for the population then. The population and medical needs are overshooting space at the KNH. There will be need for the Government to ensure that there is sufficient space and expansion of specialized services. We should have the ICU services available; the Burns Unit and the Renal Unit should be expanded. This way, we would be able to attend to the many patients who need the service. The KNH is a referral hospital that we expect to be self reliant and able to generate sufficient funds. It is clearly observed that the Government continues to refer some cases to the institution, without necessarily releasing resources which are sufficient to meet the needs of these patients. It is important, therefore, that unless we address ourselves to the Kenyatta National Hospital situation and allocate funds that will meet the very needy cases of poor Kenyans who are sometimes referred there from many parts of this country, but have no funds to meet the medical bills, the hospital will be turned into one which serves those who are able and not serving the entire population which consists of mostly the poor. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, the Government needs to have long-term strategies to attend the perpetual shortage of medical personnel in this country. We always talk about it but we have not realized an optimum number of medical personnel to attend to patients in our various hospitals. There is also need for incentives too for the medical personnel who work in areas which are perceived to be hardship areas. That would go a long way to retain medical personnel in those areas who would want to run away from there."
}