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{
    "id": 141176,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/141176/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 288,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Kioni",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 49,
        "legal_name": "Jeremiah Ngayu Kioni",
        "slug": "jeremiah-kioni"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, for giving me this opportunity to support this Motion. The Ministry got 5.43 per cent of the total Budget, which is way below the 15 per cent that was recommended in Abuja. That is, again, very far below what was recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, we are aware of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that we need to achieve in terms of reducing child mortality, improving maternal health and also combating HIV/AIDS, malaria, TB and other such diseases. I say that because the budget that has been allocated to the Ministry is clearly below what, perhaps, would have helped the Ministry to make a better impact on the health of our nation. It is in that line that I join others in urging that, perhaps, in the future Budget, we would want to see a higher allocation of resources to this Ministry, so that we could actually have a much healthier nation that should be able to engage in more productive activities and enjoying a better level of health. Having said that, Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, I think there is also a number of issues that the Ministry also needs to address. One of them had been mentioned by one of the speakers earlier. It is that when you are dealing with cost- sharing, it is important that the Ministry pays attention to its personnel within the health centres who actually maintain pharmacies right outside those health centres. They are very quick to recommend that the patient sources for the medicine from the same units that they own and they will certainly benefit from the profits much later on. That in itself undermines the quality of healthcare offered to our people. Secondly, there is the issue of balancing which is very important. In my new district Ndaragwa – I do not want people to think that I am talking about it because it is new – we have nine health centres or dispensaries, without a single doctor. There is one clinical officer who works on a rotational basis. He is in one hospital in the morning and another one in the afternoon. This is not something that is replicated in other regions in this country. One can see lack of balancing of the inadequate staff that we have. We agree that we should have more doctors and nurses. It is, however, important that we have fair distribution of these personnel. Therefore, it is up to the Ministry to consider the way it distributes the few health officers who are available so that some areas do not suffer while others have abundant staff. It is important that we share this burden equally, so that we move on together as a nation."
}