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{
    "id": 1423560,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1423560/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 438,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Ogola",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "mentioned the girls who give birth and shout, that they do not want children. It means there is a problem. Besides, due to poor planning of our facilities, the country must be able to plan for the women's projections as they get pregnant. We must have a working system that knows there should be this number of beds and services for these women. However, when women give birth, some are still not well, but have a child next to them, and they have another mother lying on the other side with their child. That is not the dignity that I am speaking about here. It also spells in this Bill that women must have access to certain information as they are pregnant. They must be prepared and preparations call for even very basic activities like breastfeeding. I remember when I gave birth to my first child, I did not even know how to hold, wash or feed the baby. At one point, I ended up feeding the baby from one side of my breast and the other side was getting into problems. Do you not think that I needed to have been prepared for that kind of occurrence? That is what we are talking about. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, that was in those years and I was an adult. What about the young adolescents who are giving birth? As you walk around, you happen to see young girls with children and they have a right to those children because they were pregnant, but the State must go ahead to take care of these children. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I have immensely benefited from the debate that has been on the Floor over this Bill for over three days. I remember Sen. Crystal Asige and without mentioning the particular inputs that were given, there are some outstanding ones. The Senator emphasised on certain services to the disabled. I know this because that is the category of people that she represents. In this Bill, I also talked about women with special needs and specified that category to mean those are individuals with additional health needs. They can be as varied and not limited to only women with disability. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, some women have mental issues and I gave an example here on the Floor of the House, of what some of us call ‘mad women’ even as they walk in our urban centres or wherever. We do meet them, but because they are human, they get pregnant. I have seen the input of senior Senators here about giving an outstanding role in these functions that I have spelt out to the county governments because this function of health is devolved. The national Government equally has a role to play and I like what Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale said, that “it specifies’’. Let us not just leave it open that there shall be a national and a county government. This Bill goes ahead to give specific functions so that people can take political responsibility. I want to share with my colleagues that I will be looking into these inputs and will be consulting, where necessary. All that they have brought during debate will be taken care of. I will be very glad that finally if this Bill is passed, there will be an emphasis on the care that we give to mothers, newborns and children. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I was telling people that in some communities, people even grade the worth of a man by the care they give to women and children around them. I thank my colleagues and I want to assure them that I will take in their input. I, therefore, 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."
}