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{
    "id": 748472,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/748472/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 45,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Sang",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 1309,
        "legal_name": "Leonard Kipkosgei Sang",
        "slug": "leonard-kipkosgei-sang"
    },
    "content": "Occupational therapists train Kenyans with disability. As they say, disability is not inability because they want to create an environment where patients utilise their skills, so that they can fed for their loved ones. Occupational therapy training was started somewhere way back in 1968 at the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) in Nairobi as the only institution that was training occupational therapists. In the recent past, KMTC has extended occupational therapy programmes to Machakos and Port Reitz in Mombasa. Jomo Kenyatta University of Science and Technology (JKUAT), my school, is offering a Bachelor of Science Degree in Occupational Therapy. Due to increased demand in training occupational therapists, we expect more institutions to commence training. It may have come to your attention that last year, a training institution trained occupational therapists and wanted to confer them with theology degrees. Therefore, it is important to regulate the training of occupational therapists in all institutions of higher learning. The proposed Occupational Therapists Bill, 2016 will provide the mechanisms for determining the scope of training of occupational therapists by offering curricular guidelines commensurate with institutional level. Furthermore, occupational therapy is an international profession which requires to meet international requirements as prescribed by the World Federation of Occupational Therapists. It requires that every country where occupational therapy is trained and practised must be governed by appropriate laws. Lack of regulation has led to frustrations on the part of practitioners in this country leading to occupational therapists moving to western countries which have proper regulations. This has led to a brain-drain of an important human resource, which is required for this country to achieve the Vision 2030. The Kenya Human Resource Strategy, 2014/2018, captured the number of occupational therapists practising in the country as 404. Out of the 404, 278 are working with the Ministry of Health, 33 are working with Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) while 35 and 38 are working with the Kenyatta National Hospital and the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital respectively. Information availed to me indicates that last year, 1,480 occupational therapists had been trained from KMTC since inception. Records available indicate that 5,500 occupational therapists constituting around 34 per cent have left the country because of frustrations associated with lack of regulations. According to the Report, the big question that should concern the Members of this House is the big number of these healthcare professionals who are leaving the country because of frustrations. They have endured a lot of frustrations during their practice in this country. Although there are a lot of laws that regulate the practice of these health professionals, none of the existing laws can be used effectively to regulate the practice of occupational therapy. Since there has been no law in place to regulate the practice of occupational therapy, in order to fill the vacuum that exists, it will be of utmost importance to put in place regulations and measures to regulate this noble profession. This profession was started somewhere back in 1968. The regulation of occupational therapists has been done by the Occupational Therapists Association of Kenya, which is the only registered professional body of occupational therapists in Kenya. This being an association, its mandate is limited. The legal lacuna that exists has obvious drawbacks that have led to stakeholders’ effort to have the necessary legislation enacted. I, therefore, ask my colleagues, and I know some of them are here, to support this Bill so that, at least, this field can have regulation to guide it. This Bill has come out of a very extensive 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."
}