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{
    "id": 594343,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/594343/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 156,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. (Prof.) Nyikal",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 434,
        "legal_name": "James Nyikal",
        "slug": "james-nyikal"
    },
    "content": "If research is undertaken in areas where there are no proper records, they may be invalid by the fact that records are not accurate and may not be repeatable. You cannot repeat research results from one place to the other even within the county. It is extremely important, therefore, that we have proper record keeping in the health sector. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, when patients are transferred or referred from one point to another, which these days occur across countries or internationally, health practitioners will heavily depend on the records that are available to them. Sometimes, they may need records from other parts of the country or the world if the patient is being treated elsewhere other than the place where the treatment originated. Those records may need to be transmitted very fast, in certain cases. In emergencies, you may need very quick and accurate records to ensure that patients get a good and appropriate care. Therefore, in the area of digitalisation, it is extremely important that proper records are kept and transmitted. What is the situation now? The situation now is that we have medical records officers being trained, basically at the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC). It is good training but there are no standards for people who may wish to train them. I am aware that very many people are putting up training institutions and yet, we do not have clear criteria for training; we do not have a common syllabus; we do not have curriculum and we do not have standards that indicate who can train who. So, it is extremely important that we get all that in place. Medical records officers, by and large, work in institutions. We know that there are very many private institutions. Some of them are small institutions while some are large institutions with very able financial capacities. Therefore, when people may not afford well trained people, you find that some institutions are just picking some other professionals or just a school leaver who can read and write and is then made in charge of medical records. That is grossly out of order because they do not have the required knowledge to keep the records in terms of classification of diseases. So, we have a situation where it is kind of free for all. Anybody picks somebody, puts them in their institution and says: “This is a records officer.” Therefore, there is need to regulate this profession. I really must call it that because it is extremely important. We need to have proper training institutions, proper training guidelines, a proper syllabus, a proper curriculum and a proper recognition of who can train. Even after training, there is need to have those people registered. We need to have a register somewhere that indicates: “This person has been trained to handle medical records.” To that extent, I support this Bill. It creates a Board which will deal with giving all the standards in the areas I have indicated and also in supervising the training and even the registration guidelines. It will have the register and so on. However, there is an important part that I really want to bring out as I support this Bill. In the Bill, I see provision for private practice. I have a major problem with that because, knowing how medical records are used, it is usually the owner of a medical institution or the clinician that is running an institution that will actually generate the records that are kept. I do not understand how medical records officers will have solo practice. Do they then set up an office in town and then many practitioners come and keep their records there? As I sit now, what I think is practical is this: Medical records officers will continue to work in institutions. Therefore, I do not see how we will have provisions for private practice for a fee. That is because in Clause 2, it is clear that private practice is clearly defined as practising for a fee. I see a major problem with that. 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."
}