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{
"id": 1426214,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1426214/?format=api",
"text_counter": 275,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Mungatana, MGH",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "promotion and use of e-health and telemedicine for the prevention and management of cancer. It would include the management of persons with cancer as a component of primary healthcare, secure and regulate the use of e-health in cancer management and the provision of cancer diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation services and other medical care related to cancer. So, the actual purpose of this amendment is to support the primary cancer law that had already been passed and had not taken care of the use of e-health. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, every time we hear about cancer, from my own experience, I would want to state clearly that I would support anybody and anything that says we are going to fight cancer. This is because cancer took away one of the most important people in my life. It was a very tough situation for me when I lost my father. I grew up watching this old man who was there for me. I failed in many ways to live to his expectations. However, he influenced my life in a way that I would do anything to help him be comfortable. I did not know he was suffering from cancer. My younger brother who is a doctor knew the facts, but decided for his good reason, to keep it away from us. Those of us who are not very learned matters of medicine did not know. I remember my father was in pain and had graduated from using mild painkillers to very strong ones. He was this kind of total African man who would not show any weakness. All my life, I had never seen my father sick. One day, I heard him make his normal prayer. He used to wake up at exactly 5.10 and would pray for everyone. On this particular day, I heard him pray, “Lord, if it is possible, take this pain away from me. Let me rest.” I realized we were in the final stages of spending the time we had with this old man. My father left us when he was 72. It was a very painful experience for all of us in the family because we were close to him. So, on anything to do with fighting this burden of cancer, I would be the first person to support. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, cancer is a great burden in this country. When you look at the status report of 2023 in Kenya, it says that five types of cancers bear 48 per cent of the burden of cancer disease in Kenya. They include breast cancer, cervical cancer, prostate cancer, cancer of the oesophagus and non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma type of cancer. If you look at breast cancer, for example, and we have heard here that when it reaches stage four, there is very little that one can do. This is the case for most other cancers. However, if we have e-health and telemedicine, it is possible to educate people and let them know what can be done at the stage that it is still curable. So, like breast cancer, if we have enough e-health interventions at the family level and the health promoters’ level, and if we have enough information trickling down to that very level, people would know that they have to check themselves. Those who have husbands will check for anything abnormal, so that it becomes preventable, treatable and detected at a stage where it can be dealt with. With regard to prostate cancer, if you have e-health and telemedicine reaching places and areas where even doctors do not normally go, it will be possible to deal with it at an early stage and treat it. I believe this amendment is very good for us and it is helping us take this fight to where cancer is."
}