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{
    "id": 668359,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/668359/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 301,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "June 28, 2016 SENATE DEBATES 32 Sen. (Prof.) Lesan",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Thank you, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir. I beg to move:- THAT, the Medical Practitioners and Dentists (amendment) Bill (Senate Bill No. 2 of 2016) be now read a Second Time. The object of this Bill is to amend the Medical practitioners and Dentists Act with the view of enhancing the penalties that are related to the offences that are created under the Act which was amended and enacted in 1977. That is about 40 years ago. This Act is very old and it has been overtaken by a lot of events that necessitated that we look at the amendments to make sure that it is current, useful and protects the citizens of the land. The object of this Act was to regulate the medicine and dentistry practice in this country. Section 4 of the Act establishes the Medical Practitioners and Dentists Board whose key functions are stated here and they have been applied for a very long time. The main function of this Act was to regulate the training of the medical practitioners and dentists in this country. This is a very sensitive profession, a sensitive application to the citizens of this country. Therefore, for it to be practiced effectively, there must be well regulated laws and procedures of practice in this area of medicine and dentistry. Secondly, the registration and licensing is also very important because it is not everybody who will practice medicine or dentistry in this country. The 1977 Act regulates the registration and licensing procedures of anybody who wants to practice medicine or dentistry in this country. The areas in which this medicine and dentistry can be practiced also need to be controlled.Therefore, this Act also provided for the registration, inspection and licensing of individuals and premises. It has also provided for the supervision of the individuals as they continue to practice dentistry in the community and in faith-based organisations that offer medical and dental services. These organisations need to be licensed and inspected all the time. The Act will help the Cabinet Secretary for Health to handle matters pertaining to health care which are changing all the time. Therefore, the Cabinet Secretary who is involved in effecting the Act when it is implemented should be aware of what is going on. If there are any amendments, the Cabinet Secretary should be guided by this Act while applying the regulations. This Act sets out the offences that are likely to be committed by medical practitioners and the penalties for committing those offences. As recently as two weeks ago, various individuals have been found practicing as medical doctors or dentists in this country without any care of what is required of them before they can practice. Last week, somebody who was practicing as a doctor in Nakuru was arrested, taken to court and released on bail. A week later he was arrested again for doing the same thing even before the case was heard. That gives an indication that there are many people who are pretending to practice medicine; disregarding completely what is provided for in the Act which was enacted in 1977. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, the public is aware of very many people who claim to be doctors. In fact, we had a case of a doctor within Nairobi who was taken to court for attempting to rape his patient. We know how susceptible patients are when they go to see doctors. It would, therefore, require people practicing medicine to be highly disciplined. 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"
}