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"id": 211603,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/211603/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Wambora",
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"speaker": {
"id": 285,
"legal_name": "Martin Nyaga Wambora",
"slug": "martin-wambora"
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"content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, thank you for giving me an opportunity to contribute to a very critical Vote that caters for the basic needs. Both cure and prevention of diseases are basic needs. The Ministry has performed very well. It is one of the top performers. We have seen plenty of medical supplies even in CDF dispensaries. To us, that is very commendable. The Ministry continues to attract a lot of donor support which shows that they are doing well. However, the devil is in the details. There are several challenges which face the health sector. I want to look at them very fast. One of them is the health personnel. We have seen a situation whereby the CDF has been used to facilitate the construction of health facilities like dispensaries, health centres and maternity wards. On the other hand, we have also seen trained paramedics in plenty. There is something very ironical about that. We have many trained paramedics and there is high demand for them and on the other hand they are unemployed. That is very ironical. We are told that, that was an International Monetary Fund (IMF) conditionality. So, when we had a chance to tour the IMF headquarters last year, we were able to meet Kenya's representative, who is very senior. Mr. Gakono is the Executive Director of IMF. He told us that, that is not true. There is nothing like IMF conditionalities in as far as employment of health personnel is concerned. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am still startled to see a situation where we have many trained people required in dispensaries, health centres and district hospitals but we cannot employ them. To me, that beats logic. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, we need more health personnel in our health facilities. Personally, I have used 24 per cent of CDF money for the last four years, in health, yet I am not capable of getting some nurses. I only need three nurses. That is, one nurse per health centre because already five have nurses. The truth is that I am going to get nurses this month but I need three more to cater for Nyagari, Kathari and Njeruri Dispensaries, built and equipped with the CDF money. Another issue is the operationalisation of these primary health facilities like dispensaries. It is taking too long to gazette them. Very few of them have been gazetted. I do not know what the problem is. We need some action in this field. I have eight dispensaries completed, furnished and equipped with CDF money. They are operational but only two have been gazetted. I cannot put up any more facilities because of personnel problems. I have now stopped. I am now channelling my money to education and provision of water. But if I can be given personnel for the ones I have put up, I will be very grateful. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the other challenge is in the field of equipment. Whereas we are able to fund equipment for dispensaries, we are not able to fund major health facilities like mortuaries. Runyenjes Sub-district Hospital has no mortuary. We have spent Kshs4 million to put up a modern beautiful mortuary but it has no equipment. I am grateful to you, Madam Minister, because I understand mine is one of the nine which will be given equipment before September. I am happily waiting for you to hand over that equipment, as well as an ambulance for a very critical facility called Kanja Health Centre. It is the health centre where we have received funds for equipping that maternity wing from the European Union (EU). We have already spent Kshs1 million. I will allocate another Kshs500,000 next month to fund the maternity wing. All we need now is just an ambulance, because it is 30 kilometres from Embu Provincial General Hospital. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I do not like crying all the time. Therefore, may I take July 31, 2007 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 2859 this opportunity to thank the Minister for posting a medical doctor to Runyenjes Sub-district Hospital. I wish to thank the Minister for allocating Kshs2 million for the completion of the theatre, and a further Kshs1.1 million for equipping it. One of my first Questions when I was very new in Parliament in 2003, and the HANSARD will show, I asked the Minister: \"What is required to upgrade Runyenjes Sub-district Hospital to a district hospital?\" The answer was very candid and clear: What you need for Runyenjes Sub- district Hospital to be a full hospital is a doctor\" I have one now. A theatre, which will be completed next month because there are funds. A mortuary, which the Constituencies Development Fund (CDF) has built. An MCH, which the Ministry has built. Now, all the conditions that the Minister had put have been complied with. The best thing the Minister can do is to now give Embu residents a gift in October, by upgrading that sub-district hospital to a district hospital. With those few remarks, I beg to support."
}