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{
    "id": 588477,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/588477/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 344,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Musila",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 94,
        "legal_name": "David Musila",
        "slug": "david-musila"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I stand to support this Bill because of the importance that I attach to this matter. Indeed, this is national problem. As you will recall, this is not the first time that we have the opportunity to discus about matters concerning HIV/ADS which has become a major problem for many years in this country. Many lives have been lost, and we have not seen the end to this scourge despite the efforts that we have been making. As of now, the matter has been basically at the national level and we have not done much at the county level to appear to be fighting this scourge which is a national disaster. That is why I stand to strongly support this Bill. Now that the health function is devolved to the county level, the county AIDS control committees should be established so that counties can play their role. This is what is covered under Part 2A, of the Bill; that county AIDS control committees be established, funded and facilitated, so that they can play their role in this matter. While still on this, we are lamenting about lack of performance in the health sector by county governments. We have seen, for example, in some hospitals, my county included, cases where governors have gone ahead and erected very huge gates at health institutions to hoodwink the public that there is something going on inside. A huge gate costing Kshs7 million is erected at a health facility and there is no fence. But when you go inside these hospitals, there are no drugs. You wonder whether the priority is to do a gate and you do not supply drugs to the health institution. This is not a joke, but what is happening. Unless we do something serious, as the Senate, to ensure that the county governments take health matters seriously, we are doomed to fail the public in service delivery, more so, when we are talking about HIV/AIDS, which as I said earlier has become such a huge problem which, admittedly, even the national government has failed to control. We have even been involved in seeking help from outside like the Global Fund and every time the funds are withheld because of accountability reasons in the national Government. So, I fear that unless we, as the Senate, put our foot down, people in the counties are going to continue suffering. Therefore, I think this Bill is timely. I congratulate Sen. (Dr.) Machage for bringing this matter so that county governments wake up to the issue of HIV/AIDS. We have already seen patients in counties suffering from simple diseases such as malaria. The other day, children in Busia County were given a wrong injection. Therefore, health matters in county governments must be put very clearly so that we ensure that this Government delivers. 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."
}