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"speaker_name": "Mr. Kipchumba",
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"legal_name": "Joseph Kipchumba Lagat",
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"content": "Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. Let me also give my support to the Ministry of Health. Last week, the Minister for Health mentioned that the Kshs700 million that is supposed to go to development of our dispensaries and health centres was reduced. The issue of Treasury unilaterally reducing very critical Votes of very important Ministries is a matter that this House has to take very seriously. I think it is time that this House now supports the proposed Fiscal Analysis Committee. This is because when Treasury decides that monies that are meant for each constituency should be reduced, then we are missing the point. That calls for a speedy development of this very important committee so that some of these issues can be sorted out. I know that Kshs700 million for a very critical Ministry is quite a lot of money. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, we all know that many of our dispensaries and referral hospitals, like the one in Eldoret, should be given more money. I have looked at the allocations to Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), and for the last few years and the next few years, it remains Kshs2.8 billion. The money for Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, Eldoret, constantly remains Kshs700 million. Recently, I was in Namibia and patients in that country are being airlifted for specialised operations in KNH. While the region and Africa in general appreciates the speciality that exists in 2944 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES October 17, 2006 this country, we continue to undermine some of our biggest institutions that not only can they give us revenue but also save lives in Kenya and in Africa. I would have wished that this very important Ministry gives, on a continuous basis, more money to KNH so that the region, including Namibia, who send their patients to Kenya, can benefit. Patients from Namibia even over-fly neighbouring South Africa which many Kenyans happily send their patients. But countries within that region would not mind bringing their patients to Kenya. What are we saying? That we do not have confidence in our own institutions. I want to plead with the Minister to consider increasing funding to these very important referral hospitals. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the only referral hospital in Western Kenya, the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, in Eldoret, continues not only to be a referral hospital, but a district hospital for us in Uasin Gishu District. For the four years I have been in this Parliament, I have always requested that the Government considers building a district hospital in Eldoret so as to supplement the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital. But this has fallen on deaf ears. I do not understand why we are the only district in this country with about 800,000 people, without a district hospital. When we are sharing monies for various districts in the country, Uasin Gishu is the only district that has not received any money for a district hospital. This is a shame. We continue to depend on Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, which is over-burdened. I want to request that the Government takes this matter seriously. We donated Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital to Moi University specifically for that purpose, teaching and referral, because we understood the importance of having that facility. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, this House should, in future, consider how it can assist Kenyans in terms of taking care of patients with chronic diseases. Every time, we do fund-raisers for heart patients, kidney and cancer patients. Why can we not, as a country, develop a policy so that people with chronic diseases can have their medical bills waived? Even when they die, the bills are enormous and have to be undertaken by the families who have suffered in the process of their ailment. The families of such patients have suffered enough, and to ask them to meet such huge bills after the death of these patients is to further impoverish them. This is too much. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, in my view, outpatient serviceis not a very serious issue. The most serious matter is patients who have been admitted for chronic diseases. We must have pity on our fellow Kenyans. Therefore, I want to request that this be considered as a major policy by the Government. Instead of us raising money through Harambee everyday and impoverishing the same families, the Government should establish a separate fund which can be allocated money on a yearly basis. I do not think that any hon. Member will oppose the establishment of such a critical fund. We all know that many title deeds, identity cards and logbooks are locked up in many hospitals. Even when patients die in the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) and the Moi Referral and Teaching Hospital in Eldoret or other hospitals, their bodies are detained there because of the huge medical bills. We are talking of a person who has already died. Consideration must be given for people who are unable to pay. I am saying that the Government must establish a fund. We would also not like the same hospitals to be allowed to run down because many people owe them money. The Minister for Finance must reconsider returning the Kshs700 million that we received last year for the development of our dispensaries and health centres so that we can use the same money for the development of our health centres and clinics. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, with those few remarks, I beg to support."
}