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{
"id": 384203,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/384203/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "June 18, 2013 SENATE DEBATES 6 Sen. (Dr.) Machage",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "I was coming to that, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I beg to move the following Motion:- THAT, aware that in the last fifty years the best equipped public hospitals were established in certain regions in Kenya to the exclusion of other regions; appreciating that the introduction of the devolved system of government, through the Constitution of Kenya 2010, was aimed at equalization of development across the country; concerned about the high maternal, infant and child mortality rates in Kenya mainly caused by lack of primary and secondary health services; the Senate resolves that the Government establishes a Level 5 hospital in each of the 47 counties and Level 4 hospital in every sub county, before the expiry of the term of the current government and provides annual reports on the development of the hospitals to the Senate through the Senate Standing Committee on Health, Labour and Social Welfare. Mr. Speaker, Sir, figures do not lie. I have been looking at certain demographic factors and data available to us in the country. The situation is appalling taking cognizance of the fact that in this country our life expectancy, which was about 63 years in 1990, has fallen to slightly below 50 years currently courtesy of the HIV/AIDs epidemic and other diseases. With a fertility rate of about 4.63 per cent, only about 42 per cent of mothers access proper delivery services. Mr. Speaker, Sir, we know that we have a deficiency in the number of nurses and doctors currently in this country’s medical service. However, the distribution of the above staff is not equitable. If we look at the infant, child and maternal mortality rates, which would be considered as indicators of the health status of a country, we will be shocked to learn that the discrepancy in these rates shows the differences in establishment of medical facilities in the country. For instance, the average maternal mortality rate in this country is about 400 per 100,000 live deliveries. Most of the areas in this country have rates above that. In certain regions, for example, near Nairobi, we have below 300. In North Eastern Province, we have a rate of 1,000 to 1,200. In other words, for every 100,000 mothers who give birth to live babies, about 1,000 to 1,200 will die in this province. This is attributed mainly to no delivery services. Most of these mothers actually deliver at home. Mr. Speaker, Sir, if you look at the under five mortality rates, the children who will die below five years of age, per 1,000, the average in the country is 74 per 1,000 children. But in certain regions, we have figures that are higher. Most of the places will be between 110 to 115 per 1,000. In North Eastern Province, the figures are 206 per 1,000 children. In some areas of Central Kenya, which is supposedly well-equipped with hospital facilities, we have a rate of 163 per 1,000 where as some areas have 54 per 1,000. In Nairobi County, for example, Embakasi has a child mortality rate of 245 per 1,000 and Kibera, 186 per 1,000. This means that for every 1,000 children born alive, 245 will die within their first five years of life in Embakasi. The average in Western Kenya is around 153 per 1,000. Thanks to some good services, Eastern Province has the lowest which is 39 children per 1,000. Whereas we know that the vaccination rate coverage in The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}