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"id": 384328,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/384328/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Orengo",
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"speaker": {
"id": 129,
"legal_name": "Aggrey James Orengo",
"slug": "james-orengo"
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"content": "Thank you, Madam Temporary Speaker. I commend Senator Machage for moving this Motion. As many Senators have expressed their opinion, he is, probably, the best person to have introduced a Motion of this nature since he is an accomplished doctor. His concerns are well founded. In supporting this Motion, probably, from the beginning, in carrying out these activities, they should not be brick and motor projects. For example, if you go round the country, you will find many health centres and dispensaries that have been established either through the CDF or some other initiatives. We also have the Nyayo Wards in several districts. Hospitals are trying to upgrade those medical centres. The most important thing is that as we provide those facilities and constructions, they should offer the services required. I visited a medical centre at Mageta Island, an Island with some historical value where many Mau Mau detainees were held. These are people like Paul Ngei. When I was there, I was shown the remains of the facility where Paul Ngei was kept and people like Waruru Kanja. However, instead of this Island being retained in remembrance of colonial detainees, we have settlements there and people who claim to own the land. Over the years, they have increased. I think that they have a population of more than 10,000 people now and they have a health centre. When I went there over the weekend, the state of that health centre was appalling. I think that it should not even be called a health centre. There are only two members of staff who are employed by the Government, because the county government has not taken over. The only two employees who, probably, were doing valuable work are employed by some Non- Governmental Organizations (NGOs). In that hospital, there was a case of an old man who had severe burns all over the body. There was no facility to deal with that kind of emergency. There is a ferry that takes about 30 minutes between the mainland and the island. This was not, probably, the best facility for getting the patient across. But they were told at that health centre that the hospital in Bondo also could not accept that patient, because they did not have the facility and space for that particular patient. So, you have somebody in a health centre without adequate facilities. There is a district hospital which has no room to accommodate this patient. But even in that hospital there are no facilities to deal with these kinds of severe burns. Madam Temporary Speaker, yes, the brick and mortar kind of developments are important. It is good to see a hospital being constructed, but it must live to its name. I think that when Sen. Machage talks about a Level 4 or Level 5 hospital, he is not just talking about the buildings and, probably, even the other physical infrastructure. It should have the capacity to deal with the kind of problems that a Level 4 or Level 5 hospital should be dealing with. So, this is something that we must keep on emphasizing even as 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."
}