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"id": 298150,
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"speaker_name": "Mr. Letimalo",
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"legal_name": "Raphael Lakalei Letimalo",
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"content": "Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, for giving me this opportunity to support this Appropriation Bill. I want to start by thanking the Minister for taking the initiative to implement recommendations made by this Parliament and for involving Parliament, through the Budget Committee, in the Budget-making process; he has also involved in the process members of the public through public participation. We normally go to the public to get their views. This is the way to go and we want to encourage the Minister to continue with the process. I want to comment on three areas; one of them is that of medical services. I am happy that the Minister for Medical Services is here. I appreciate the assistance the Government has been giving the people of Kenya and the provision of medical care. I appreciate the fact that CDF is also supplementing the efforts of the Government. I am aware that through the CDF many health facilities have been initiated to the extent that it is possible to find a health facility in every location. The majority are what they call the level II hospitals, that is dispensaries. Once these dispensaries have been initiated by either the CDF or NGOs, it is the Government’s duty to expand or upgrade them. It is possible that you will get a dispensary which requires a maternity wing. So, if the Government expands these health facilities, then certainly it will give more services to the people. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, there are situations where a health facility has been completed but it stays for long without offering services because medical personnel have not been deployed. There must have been a purpose for establishing that particular facility; so, the Government should take the initiative of deploying medical personnel to man the health facilities. I am aware that there are areas, for example Samburu East, where mosquitoes are really a menace. There are seasons when people are forced to sleep outside their houses; we know that most pastoralists live in makeshift structures. It is important that the Government takes responsibility and supplies mosquito nets to the mosquito-infested areas. Still on medical services, I appreciate that when the Government provides general administration and development of health facilities, Kenyatta National Hospital and Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital have been considered separately. We understand the importance of doing that. In fact, I want to commend the Minister for allocating Kshs1 billion to KNH in this financial year. We know that there are many patients from different corners of the country who are referred to the KNH. We have been there and we know the state of the equipment and buildings at the KNH. I would like to inform the Minister for Medical Services and the Minister for Finance – please, listen to us when we give these views – that we have Wamba Mission Hospital in Samburu. It is run by Catholic missionaries. This hospital is more or less a referral hospital in that region because it covers the entire Samburu County, West Pokot, parts of North Eastern and lower Eastern provinces. Patients in these areas are referred there. It also has a nursing school. It used to get donations from outside the country, specifically from Italy, but that support is no longer forthcoming. It will be important if the Government considers this hospital for assistance because it is actually a referral hospital. The moment we hear about cattle rustling and people being involved in clashes, say between the Pokot and Samburu, casualties are referred to Wamba Mission Hospital. The services there are really going down. I appreciate that the Government has already seconded four medical doctors there, including a surgeon. At present the hospital does not have a radiographer. I would like the Minister for Medical Services to listen to me because this is the same request I made through a Question. Although the Government has already seconded medical officers, including a surgeon, to the hospital, even though the hospital operates as a referral hospital in the region, it does not have a radiographer. I made this request even to the Prime Minister when he visited the place. I may not have any knowledge of medicine, but a radiographer is required for the provision of X-Ray services. The hospital also requires an anaesthetist. So, I would like to appeal to the Government to consider this request. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the livestock sector is crucial to the existence of certain communities, particularly pastoralists. When the Minister presented his Budget Statement he did not talk much about the livestock sector, apart from talking about the normal general administration, salaries, and development activities within the Ministry of Livestock Development. It is important to note that the people living in northern Kenya keep livestock as their main economic activity."
}