HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept
{
"id": 22845,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/22845/?format=api",
"text_counter": 225,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Bahari",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 156,
"legal_name": "Abdul Bahari Ali Jillo",
"slug": "bahari-ali-jillo"
},
"content": "Thank you, Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker. First and foremost, I want to thank the people of Kenya for having voted in the new constitutional dispensation. I do recall, perhaps, in the previous Parliament the role of Parliament was basically to lament about what the Treasury has not done and it stopped there. Fortunately, this time round, Parliament has a significant role to play. Kenyans have such a significant role to play in terms of their contribution to the budget making process. A healthy nation, as it has just been said, is a stable nation. It will also be a productive nation. It is, therefore, imperative that this Ministry must be given what it requires so that Kenyans can remain healthy. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, you cannot do that and you cannot plan for it when you do not have the right medical statistics. I am afraid that this area has not been properly given attention. Every time we want the right statistics in terms of the illness and so many other issues that are related to health, we do not seem to have up-to-date and correct statistics. So, it is important that the area of statistics in the medical field be given the attention that it requires. I want to address myself to the issue of mental health. I am afraid also that mental health has not been given the requisite attention that is necessary. I want to give an example. In many parts of this country, including the Upper Eastern where I come from, there is not a single unit where we can retain those who are mentally challenged. So, what happens is that most of the relatives will keep these people in their houses. They lock them up under very inhuman conditions. The Minister and the Permanent Secretary are here. We want this area to be given the requisite attention from the aspects of medical as well as human rights. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, I also want to address myself to the issue of cancer. It has become too much in this country. Every other time we have four, five or six or many of them. In fact, in my own constituency we have to raise funds to attend to cancer patients. It has become rampant and I think the Ministry needs to move in the right direction - the Minister is very much aware of this issue – so that we arrest the issue of cancer and its causes in this country. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, I want to mention the issue of staff. In most of the arid areas for the last so many recruitments we were not able to produce paramedics from those areas to come and serve the people in that area. I think the Ministry needs to take urgent and affirmative action so that those areas are able to produce experts to serve them. I am sure this is a matter that is very clear. Mr. Minister, we need your attention in this area. Indeed, it is true for the Ministry of Education also where we have been employing in those areas, even when the Ministry has prescribed that as a requirement you must come from those areas, people from those areas be given priority, we have not been able to produce any recruits because the medical training institutions are only able to bring to us Kenyans who are from other areas. It is important that the Minister does affirmative action in this area. I want to address myself to the issue of medical supplies also. I have witnessed a situation where a truck full of cartons offloaded drugs in a medical facility. The following day when you go there, you find literally there are no drugs. Why? This is as a result of supplying the drugs that are not required in those areas. For example, in my own area, I witnessed the situation where we had a lot of drugs for scabies and that disease is not there in those areas. In fact, it is there in other areas. What happens? It looks like there are certain people who are bent on supplying drugs. They are forcing the Ministry, through whatever means, to supply those drugs. So, the drug supply must be need-based. I do recall in the Ninth Parliament the health committee had recommended that drugs supplied must be need-based and I do not think that has been implemented to date. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, I want to touch on an issue that the Minister appropriately addressed himself to; the issue of diagnostic services. Where are the laboratories in the dispensaries and health centres? They are not there. With those few remarks, I beg to support."
}