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"id": 211402,
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"speaker_name": "Mr. Kipchumba",
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"legal_name": "Joseph Kipchumba Lagat",
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"content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, let me also give my contribution to this very important Vote of the Ministry of Health. Many hon. Members in this House will agree with me that, for the last few years, we have been voting funds for the purchase of ambulances. At times, you wonder what criteria is used to distribute those ambulances to the various jurisdictions in this country. We cannot ask Parliament to be voting year in, year out, for the purchase of that very important tool of transport--- We come to the same House and complain every year. The Minister has a responsibility to explain to us how those ambulances are distributed throughout the country. Is it on the basis of friendship, neighbourliness or tribe? It is important that, that is explained. I have been in this House and five years have almost gone by. I have never seen an ambulance being given. We do not want a situation where we have to go and beg, so that the Minister could give us an ambulance. There must be a criteria. We see ambulances being given to police stations every time. We do not beg. But in this Ministry of Health, we have to literary beg for an ambulance. It is a shame and unacceptable that we can vote in money, then go to beg to be given ambulances. We come here and complain every year. When the Minister is replying, she should table a document in this House showing how ambulances have been distributed in this country. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, there is a very important referral hospital in this country, after Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH). It is called Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret. If you look at the Budget for the preceding years, you will be shocked to find out that there is very little consideration being given to that very important institution. That hospital serves as a teaching and referral hospital. It also serves as a provincial and district hospital for Eldoret. There is no sense that the budget for that particular referral hospital continues to almost stagnate. We want to expand that hospital. It is serving very many people to the extent that, since that hospital was established, the provincial hospital in Nakuru, in our view, has been rendered impotent. Why can the Ministry not vote in some of the funds that could have been used in the August 1, 2007 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 2935 provincial hospital to that very important referral hospital? Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I was hoping that since the Minister has given us a Chairman from her own district, that hospital would improve. It is a shame for a district and referral hospital in North Rift to get somebody from Kitui District to become the Chairman. It is a shame that you have to get your own tribe, so that you can trust yourself! We complain of tribalism. We complain that the Government is abetting tribalism. But where is tribalism more practised than in this very important Ministry of Health? A Chairman has to fly all the way from Kitui District to attend a board meeting in Eldoret. That is spending a lot of money unnecessarily! What special qualifications can somebody from Kitui District have that somebody who lives in Eldoret does not have? If it is on the basis of qualifications, we have people who are qualified in that part of the world! I have never, in my life, seen a Ministry as tribal as this Ministry of Health! We, as a country, must stop from abetting those kinds of systems, just because somebody is from your village. That, you must say: \"I am going to give you a job in Eldoret.\" Do we not have people there? We are not refusing that they are not Kenyans. But that is unacceptable! I thought that by bringing their own Chairman, that hospital was going to be given special consideration. There is none! The director, who happens to come from that tribe, has been on an acting capacity for a very long time. Why is that the case? This basis of giving jobs to our own tribesmen must come to a stop. I think it is time we told the Minister that we have had enough and it is no longer acceptable. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the facilities in our various hospitals--- As I said, we beg for almost everything. Four years ago, the same Minister asked us to give her a list of the various requirements for health facilities in our districts. Four years down the line, we have not received even a microscope. Thanks to the Kenya Medical Supplies Agency (KEMSA), because it is the only institution that ensures that we get medicine. The rest of the things are given out on a basis that I do not understand. The Minister wants us to \"preach\" to Kenyans that we have done very well. Where have we done very well? We want to be told in which part of the country the Minister has done very well. In our case, we have received nothing. When we ask for a district hospital, we are told to go and look for land. Is that our business? We surrendered our district hospital for use by the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital. That was the only district hospital we had. The Government then told us to look for land so that it can build another hospital for us. Is that our responsibility? It is the responsibility of the Government to ensure that it gets land somewhere and builds a district hospital for us. Four-and-a- half years down the line, the Minister has been telling us that she will consider the building of a hospital in Uasin Gishu District. Her term is almost coming to an end. Mere rhetoric cannot help us in any way. This kind of situation is unacceptable. Where are the funds for the construction of a district hospital in Uasin Gishu District, just like any other district hospital? Why can we not be given the money so that we can give it to our dispensaries and health centres? We cannot, as a country, continue to neglect some parts of this country and pretend that we are doing very well in terms provision of health care services. Every year, we give this Ministry additional funds. What is this for? This is done so that the money can be distributed to certain areas to the detriment of our areas. I think this Ministry must rise to the occasion. I heard the Minister, yesterday, talking about a stalled project in the MTC. There is also a stalled project in Mathari Hospital which requires to be completed so that it can reduce the load from Kenyatta National Hospital. That project has stalled for a very long time. In the absence of a district hospital, we want the Ministry to consider upgrading Burnt Forest Health Centre to a sub- district hospital so that, for the time being, we can be served like any other Kenyans. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, we have an X-Ray facility there and people have talked about it. However, an X-Ray facility without a proper room for it is of no use. This is because you are not allowed, by the Medical Board, to operate an X-Ray machine when you do not 2936 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES August 1, 2007 have a room built to the required standards. Therefore, I would like to request this Ministry, and we have requested it for a long time--- Some of us are wishing that the term of this Government ends. Not necessarily because of the entire Government but because of such Ministries which are insensitive to our requirements. Many poor Kenyans are unable to settle their hospital bills. Why can this Ministry not set up a kitty that can be used to pay the bills of the needy people? There is no point for hon. Members coming here to complain every year--- We have the bursary scheme. Why can the Ministry not set up something like that, which is accessible to everybody, and use it to settle hospital bills for very needy Kenyans?"
}