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"id": 238980,
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Angwenyi",
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"speaker": {
"id": 326,
"legal_name": "Jimmy Nuru Ondieki Angwenyi",
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"content": "Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I have nine minutes. Health care is a basic need for every citizen of this country. That is why when we acquired our Independence, the first indigenous Government decided to provide free health care through the initiative of the late first President of this country. Kenyans enjoyed free health care. It was with the advent of the Goldenberg scandal that the free service to Kenyans was stopped. For the past 16 years, citizens of this country have suffered because they cannot afford to access health care whenever they need it. As you know, 63 per cent of Kenyans live below poverty line. That portion of Kenyans live in squalor where diseases are prevalent. Some of the diseases affecting them include malaria, HIV/AIDS or just mere cough. Our people have suffered without bitterness for the past 16 years. I thought that this Ministry could have sought adequate resources so that it could begin to provide free health care to every Kenyan who needs it. Every time I go to my constituency, people come home to visit me. For instance, if I go home on a Friday, the following day in the morning, by 7.00 a.m, there are over 200 people in my compound, wanting to see me. At least 70 per cent of those people would be requiring my assistance or support to access health care. I know that the media has portrayed hon. Members as people who do not work, and that we work for only 15 to 18 hours. I am, through this discussion, inviting members of the media to accompany me to my constituency and see how many hours I work over the weekend. I start my work on Saturdays at 7.00 a.m and do not wind up until 2.00 a.m in the night. That is what every hon. Member in this House does. So, the assistance that is required pertains to health care. The first President of this country was keen to establish proper hospitals in this country, for instance, the Kenyatta National Referral Hospital, New Nyanza General Hospital in Kisumu and the Coast General Hospital. We have not expanded those facilities for many years now. So, if you visit Kenyatta National Hospital, you will find the facility congested. You will find two to three patients sharing a bed. I thought the Ministry would have sought more resources so as to provide adequate health care in the referral hospital. This Ministry should upgrade some of the district hospitals to provincial level. For instance, the Kisii General Hospital should be upgraded to provincial status so that it can have adequate facilities and personnel to provide services to approximately 5 million Kenyans who live in the southern and western parts of this country. In the same breath, I request that this Ministry upgrades Marani and Raganga health centres into sub-district hospitals. These sub-district hospitals would provide services to more than 300,000 people. Thanks to the efforts of Eng. Muriuki, we now have CDF in this country. Although some people in this country do not recognise that, we have constructed health facilities using the CDF. In October 17, 2006 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 2943 my own constituency, we have established seven new health facilities. However, the new facilities cannot offer services to our people because they lack personnel. I request that the Ministry recruits qualified personnel and sends them to those facilities so that our people can access adequate and proper health care. Recently, it was announced that a number of ambulances were bought through the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF). However, I have 13 health facilities in my constituency, yet not a single one got an ambulance. How is the distribution of the ambulances determined? Do you consider the number of patients received, or does one have to know someone in the Ministry? What criteria is used? I want to request the Ministry of Health to take care of that since as I said, health care is a basic need. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, last week there was a write-up in the media regarding improvement of services offered by the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF). That was a commendable move in the provision of healthcare in this country because it increases the number of people who can access medical cover. But I was surprised that such an important policy could pass without coming through this House, because we are the ones financing that kind of project. It was done kienyeji . We have not even been told how the programme will work, what method will be used and the Government has not come up with a policy paper to tell us that what they want to implement is what was brought here in a Bill a year ago by the Minister for Health, or they want to do it mid-way. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, if you went to areas like Kibera or some parts of Kitutu Chache, which are heavily and densely populated, and saw the way people live there--- I wish the Ministry had special healthcare programmes for such areas. Kawangware, Mukuru kwa Njenga and even Mwingi need specific healthcare programmes. I am sure the people of Kenya would appreciate if the Government were to come up with such kind of programmes tailored for the needs of specific sections of this country. With those remarks, I beg to support."
}