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{
    "id": 707999,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/707999/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 135,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. (Eng.) Gumbo",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 24,
        "legal_name": "Nicholas Gumbo",
        "slug": "nicholas-gumbo"
    },
    "content": "The proposed deletions on Clauses 30 to 67 have the effect of removing the Kenya Health and Human Resource Advisory Council, the Kenya Health Professionals Oversight Authority, and the regulation of health products and healthcare technologies. In my view, this will have the effect of turning provision of healthcare services in Kenya into some kind of cocktails that will differ from one county to another. Such a situation will not be good for us. We must have standards and uniformity in policies that govern healthcare services in Kenya. I would not like a situation where in Siaya County we will have healthcare standards that are different from those in Nairobi County merely because the services in Siaya County – where I come from – are being provided by the county government. The effect of such an eventuality will be scattered policies and standards across counties. Healthcare services in Kenya will be a collage and a cocktail of practices. This will reduce the quality of healthcare services in some counties and in effect differentiate healthcare in our country with an element of discrimination. These amendments are very elaborate. It is still important for us to have unified healthcare standards and policies within the country. We are talking about the same people of Kenya. The fact that somebody moved from one county to the next should not be a reason for the standards and policies governing healthcare to be different. I am very concerned. I wonder whether the counties, with the structures that we have seen over time, will grow and have more capacity. I wonder whether it will be possible for counties to do these things over time. We are more or less saying that provision of healthcare in Kenya is going to be fully devolved. That is a worrying trend. We have seen how healthcare services in this country have deteriorated with devolution. We have also seen how priorities have been inverted. I do not think we should consciously move towards complete devolution of healthcare services at this point in time. I hope that these concerns have been raised by Members at the Committee Stage and will be raised in the Mediation Committee. Those of us who will be privileged to be Members of the Mediation Committee should look into these issues so that ultimately, we act in the best interest of our people. We should ensure that healthcare services in Kenya are affordable and available to the majority of Kenyans. For example, we know that maternity services are free in this country. The fact that maternity services are free makes them affordable. But are they available? Let us find a correct mix between affordability and availability for healthcare services because healthcare is in more ways than one a basic human right. Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker."
}