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{
    "id": 722818,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/722818/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 195,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. (Dr.) Pukose",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 1458,
        "legal_name": "Robert Pukose",
        "slug": "robert-pukose"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, for allowing me to contribute to this debate. I congratulate Hon. Sang for coming up with this Bill, and for working very closely with the relevant Departmental Committee and the Clinical Officers Council of Kenya. The clinical officers in this country have been working on the basis of an obsolete Act which does not even describe what clinical officers are supposed to prescribe. The Act still talks of chloroquine and other outdated drugs – a scenario which has put the clinical medicine practice in jeopardy in this country. Clinical officers have a minimum qualification of a diploma. There are some clinical officers who have gone for post-basic training in other fields, including anaesthetics; Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT), chest, skin, and ophthalmology, among other areas. We even have clinical officers who are pursuing degrees in clinical medicine. The Act that moderates the clinical medicine practice limits clinical officers in terms of what medicines they can prescribe and how they are supposed to practise. It even describes the kind of premises they are supposed to be operating from. It talks about modern housing that they are supposed to operate from. Therefore, this Bill seeks to replace the old Act in order to enhance the practice of clinical medicine. It seeks to give room to clinical officers to practise their trade with full recognition. According to the current law, they can be sued for engaging in medical practice and yet, that is what they are supposed to do as per the current syllabus for clinical medicine trainees. The current syllabus covers modern medicine and development in terms of technology. We have clinical officers who work in health centres, dispensaries and hospitals. They are the bulk of the medical professionals, together with the nurses and other medical professionals. The medicine practice has come a long way in this country. The National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF) has been undertaking construction of health facilities within the various constituencies across the country. This effort will go a long way in improving healthcare services in the country. Those facilities were handed over to the county governments when medical services were devolved. For instance, in April, 2015, my own 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."
}