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{
    "id": 618503,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/618503/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 295,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Onyura",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 12833,
        "legal_name": "Michael Aringo Onyura",
        "slug": "michael-aringo-onyura"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, for giving me a chance to contribute to this important Bill. It is only right that a professional group of biomedical engineers have an Act that regulates their activities. As the Bill provides, it is able to regulate the training, registration, licensing and the practice of that profession. We also have addressed a number of other professional cadres through legislation in this House. That is a very positive step because we need to encourage professionalism and specialisation, particularly in an area such as medical engineering, which is a fairly new field that needs to be looked at very carefully. In the light of what the Ministry of Health has been doing in procuring medical equipment through the Medical Equipment Services (MES), it is important for us to prepare and have professionals who have the necessary skills to operate that equipment. This is an area that is fairly delicate. It is an important area and it needs to be given the attention we are according it now. We are talking of a cadre of staff that is dealing with human life and health. It is important that they get the support and a body through which they can regulate themselves, just as other professionals are doing. That way, they will be able to address their problems and challenges. Members of the profession would be in a much better position to appreciate and address the challenges that the profession will face. While on this, I will just mention something on the general provision of medical services in the country. We can do all we are doing here; pass such a good Bill which will provide the legislative and legal framework for the biomedical engineers to work in. But unless we address the challenges and the concerns in the wider medical field, I do not think we will be doing justice to the expectations of the citizens. There are a lot of complaints about medical services. If we do not watch out and be careful, medical services could collapse. When you go to hospitals and dispensaries, there is no medicine, the staff is inadequate and demoralised. Unless these issues are addressed properly, the entire medical system is heading in the wrong direction. This is not to say that we do not support the devolution of that particular sector. We support it very much and we want it to succeed. But there are challenges. I would call upon the Ministry of Health and the new Cabinet Secretary (CS) and the Principal Secretary (PS) who 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."
}