Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 445728,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/445728/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 310,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. (Dr.) Nyamai",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 1979,
        "legal_name": "Rachael Kaki Nyamai",
        "slug": "rachael-kaki-nyamai"
    },
    "content": "Okay. Thank you very much, hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker for your guidance. I would like to thank the hon. colleagues seated in this House for the high level of debate that they have given this Motion. I really want to thank you for giving it a lifeline. Yesterday, hon. colleagues you remember that we realised that we needed to handle some matters. I appreciate the amendment that has been brought to the Floor by the Departmental Committee on Health through our colleague, hon. Mule. I thank you hon. Members for supporting this Motion. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, this country is moving very fast in terms of infrastructure development. I would like to thank Members of Parliament today who are seated in this House for also saying that the health sector also needs to move with the same speed as infrastructure development. I really appreciate that. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, we appreciate that we are debating about devolution of health today because things are wrong on the ground. You go to a health facility and you find that there is no detergent, the support staff is resigning and the nurses are not in the health facilities because there is no medicine to give. I really thank the House today for speaking about this so that the country, the Executive and the governors can make a decision on this matter. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, I would like to point out that our health facilities are surviving on Kshs870 million which is a grant that is given through the national Government straight to the health centres and to the Level 3 and Level 4 health facilities. So, hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, I really appreciate that today we have realised that there is a problem with the funding. In the 2013/2014 Budget the Ministry of Health devolved over Kshs60 billion and this money went to the counties. The question is: How much of this money reached the health facilities? It is sad to realise that most of these monies went to the comfort of people who are seated somewhere in this country and who are enjoying their comfort when our own people are dying of disease. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, as we are here we do not know how much money will reach the Level 5 hospitals this year because money has not been appropriated to those health facilities. For the benefit of the House, Level 5 health facilities are the former provincial hospitals and they are 11 in number. In the 2013/2014 Budget, the money that was meant for them did not reach these health facilities and most of it is being diverted to construction of new health facilities. This is not the spirit that was meant, especially when this money was being devolved. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, as I respond, I would like to say that we are the people’s representatives. We cannot bury our heads in the sand and assume that things are okay. Today, Members have shown that something is wrong with the health sector. The task force needs to run as fast as possible and reach out to the counties and find out which counties are ready to take up health services and those which are not ready. I appreciate the amendment that it is through agreement. It is not forced but it is through agreement that our people will benefit. With clear terms of reference, this taskforce will be able to achieve the intended purpose. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}