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{
    "id": 714956,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/714956/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 211,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. (Dr.) Pukose",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 1458,
        "legal_name": "Robert Pukose",
        "slug": "robert-pukose"
    },
    "content": "National Treasury to re-look the budget for the Ministry of Health because from our Budget Policy Statement we have made it clear that devolved programmes are not going to get funding. We want the Ministry of Health to look at this Budget Policy Statement, what the House has passed, the recommendations from the Committee and align their budget to those programmes. The other issue is about National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF). In the past, money has been sent to the county governments, yet those facilities that have helped mothers deliver, even though they have put in their invoices, do not get that money directly. This is very important because when we allocate money for maternity services and the money is disbursed to the county account, it means that money does not end up in the various facilities and it will be very difficult for anybody to know whether the money is being utilized for maternity services. What we have done as a Committee, through NHIF, is to provide ante-natal care for the mother and post-natal care for both the mother and the baby so that they have a comprehensive care through the NHIF. So, giving this money as a special grant to NHIF is going to improve the efficiency of the services because the money is going to go directly to the mother who is the beneficiary. Initially, hospitals would even put claims for those already employed and have NHIF support but for this one, the NHIF will recruit more people into the programme because we already have those who are on the NHIF programme by virtue of this person working. Hon. Speaker, once that is done, the coverage for the NHIF for mothers going to deliver is going to increase and the money disbursed to various facilities. One of the recommendations from the Budget and Appropriations Committee is a special fund for health to be established. Governors together with the National Treasury must take cognizance of this, so that money meant for health is ring-fenced and given directly to health facilities. During the Motion in the morning, I also raised the issue of the current doctors’ strike. Recently, the nurses agreed to go back to work but not the doctors. We cannot deliver health care services when the doctors are not there. It is important for this country to understand. You train a doctor for six years and there are many others who go for post-graduate studies for another five years after which they come back to give critical service to the society. So, the role of the doctor in health care needs to be looked into and these are people whom Kenyans’ taxpayers money have been invested in. We should not let our doctors move out of our country. As I conclude, the other issue is the role of NG-CDF, which I hope that the Committee is going to look into. Some of the aspirants happen not to understand the role of the MP, Member of County Assembly (MCA) and how devolved functions are done. The Budget and Appropriations Committee allocated money for the audit of this Constitution, but up to now that report has not been tabled to this House. When you go outside there you will find some of the aspirants accusing you of not carrying out functions that are not necessarily functions to be performed by MPs. They accuse you of not performing functions of MCAs. So, you wonder whether the person accusing you wants to be an MCA or an MP. It is important that the Budget and Appropriations Committee tells us what we have achieved in so far as the money that we allocated them for the audit of the Constitution is concerned. It is very important. This House gave out money and also views as far as that audit is concerned, but the Report has never been tabled in this House. What happened to that Report and where are we moving from here? We are going into an election year with the same Constitution and other quarters are demanding that we need to do some amendments. However we have not got the Report on the audit of the Constitution. That is important to me. I support this BPS."
}