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    "id": 498642,
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    "content": "headquarters and all the funds – maybe we say two thirds of these funds – be devolved to the counties. Madam Temporary Speaker, I want to agree with Sen. Okong’o when he says that although we devolved these services, we did so too early. We should have had adequate planning because we were given a three year period and we should have done proper planning so that by the time we have our medical doctors in the counties, we have enough funds. Today, as you are aware, the governors are faced with a real problem. They do not know what to do because they do not have enough money with which to pay the doctors. While I commend the President and the Governor of Kisii County for making Kisii County a referral and teaching hospital, however, you may have very beautiful buildings and put this in the newspapers or in the gazettes but if you do not have doctors who are going to teach these students, we will not have achieved the targets we are talking about. Madam Temporary Speaker, I noted that the hon. distinguished Senator for Meru, said that in another two or three years, we will have 47 Level Five hospitals in this country. This cannot be achieved unless we have enough money being devolved to the counties. That is why we must all come and support the Pesa Mashinani initiative so that we have enough money in the counties that can do the work that is needed for medical services. I want to end by quoting something here that I felt that I needed to bring to the attention of this House. Last year, as you know, many doctors went on strike and this is what Dr. Sultani Matendechere, the Secretary General of the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) asserted; he felt that the national Government should reverse the transfer of salaries and the entire management of health services from the county governments to the national Government so that they can avert the looming breakdown of health services. This is coming from an expert but we need to find a solution. The solution is not to reverse what we have already done. The solution is to find more funds in the counties so that we can ensure that our health facilities are meeting the adequate thresholds that are required and to ensure that doctors or nurses are not living in fear that they do not know where they will get their bread tomorrow. Madam Temporary Speaker, I thank you and I support."
}