Entry Instance

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

{
    "id": 49834,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/49834/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 276,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Prof. Anyang’-Nyong’o",
    "speaker_title": "The Minister for Medical Services",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 193,
        "legal_name": "Peter Anyang' Nyong'o",
        "slug": "peter-nyongo"
    },
    "content": "There are many hospitals at the moment, which still do not have mortuaries although they are district or sub-district hospitals. In my own constituency, Kombewa District Hospital does not have a mortuary. So, bodies have to be taken to Kisumu, which is quite a distance away. Quite often, the New Nyanza General Hospital Mortuary is over- subscribed with bodies. Therefore, it means that the issue of having proper mortuaries in our hospitals is very urgent, and it requires resources. So, whereas I would definitely want to support this Motion, I would like the House to consider an amendment to it, which will make it much more realistic, from the point of view of the people of Kenya who are being helped and from the point of view of the Government, which would like to give good service to the people. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, therefore, I will be proposing that from the section of the Motion that says “this House urges the Government to waive mortuary fees in all public hospitals---” we delete the words “for bodies claimed within 21 days and those not claimed become a subject of disposal by the hospital authorities in accordance with the law” and replace them with “provided the hospitals are fully reimbursed their mortuary expenses by the Treasury”. This is because, if we waive the mortuary fees, we will be telling hospitals that they will not have any money to run the facilities. If they do not have any money to run the facilities, the likelihood is that most Government hospitals will close down their mortuaries and request people to take the bodies of their beloved ones to private mortuaries, which will be much more expensive. So, to make it possible for the Ministry of Medical Services to respond to the request by the hon. Member, it would be important for us to amend the Motion and make sure that the hospitals are reimbursed their expenses, so that they will ensure that bodies are well maintained, in return for reimbursement to replace the fees that members of the public pay for their bodies, and so that the public can have facilities in which to preserve bodies of their loved."
}