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{
    "id": 217993,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/217993/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 43,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Kimunya",
    "speaker_title": "The Minister for Finance",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 174,
        "legal_name": "Amos Muhinga Kimunya",
        "slug": "amos-kimunya"
    },
    "content": " The savings generated through expenditure rationalization are also expected to support free tuition for secondary education and enhance bursary funding for university education in the medium term. Mr. Speaker, Sir, turning to healthcare, the Government has implemented various reforms in the health sector, which are aimed at improving the quality and access to healthcare services. As a result of these reforms, as I mentioned earlier, over 1,000 additional dispensaries have been built countrywide, budgetary allocation for drugs has increased by 72 per cent and over 4,080 additional health personnel have been deployed to rural and needy areas to scale up health services. In addition, the Government has improved referral services by increasing the number of ambulances and has also implemented financial management reforms to improve efficiency and service delivery countrywide. Mr. Speaker, Sir, to facilitate completion and sustaining of the ongoing reforms in the health sector, I have allocated Kshs34.4 billion in the year 2007/2008. Efficient use of these funds is expected to enhance quality of healthcare and access in line with our Vision 2030. The Government will also continue to shift focus from curative to preventive healthcare, help to expand immunization coverage, improve reproductive health needs and allocate additional resources to facilitate an effective multi-sectoral response to epidemics such as HIV/AIDS and malaria. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the Government is aware of the low absorption of budgetary resources attributed to bureaucracy in financial and other logistical management systems within the health sector. The Government, therefore, intends to streamline and enhance community participation and ownership in the management of health resources at the local level, through a review of the legal and administrative framework. This could well see the direct submission of grants to the health centre levels."
}