{"id":639962,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/639962/?format=json","text_counter":103,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Hon. Mulu","speaker_title":"","speaker":{"id":1955,"legal_name":"Benson Makali Mulu","slug":"benson-makali-mulu"},"content":"Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker, for giving me the chance to add my voice to this important Motion. I want to start by thanking Hon. Wanga for this very important Motion. This Motion was discussed by the defunct Budget and Appropriations Committee. After analysing the Motion, we discovered that the benefits which are going to accrue as a result of it are so much high compared to the costs. That is why we thought it wise to have this Chamber discuss this important Motion. When you look at the statistics as have been presented by Hon. Wanga, you realise that this country has a serious shortage in terms of specialists who can treat cancer. This Motion proposes to have more oncologists trained by the Government, so that each county has, at least, one oncologist. It is very important. Where I come from, when a family member is diagnosed with cancer, the whole family gets into a panic mode. Everybody in that family starts panicking. Why do they panic? They panic because cancer can easily move a family from middle level income assessment to a very poor family assessment. It is very expensive to treat cancer. Families have to sell their land, livestock and other assets in terms of plots and whatever investments to take their family members for treatment. 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."}