Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 748531,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/748531/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 104,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Limo",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 1915,
        "legal_name": "Joseph Kirui Limo",
        "slug": "joseph-kirui-limo"
    },
    "content": "Occupational therapy professionals are the most all-rounded people because they are able to mould an individual to do alternative jobs and to have alternative sources of income. Therefore, we should support those professionals in all ways because they empower the nation. When we talk about empowerment, what quickly comes to our minds is funding. People only talk about youth and women empowerment, but say very little about the injured or disabled. We only talk about the disabled in the context that they were born that way. However, there are quite a big percentage of people who become disabled through accidents or other calamities which occur in the course of life. Those professionals are important and, therefore, it is good to have a Bill that will make regulations which will make the profession respectable and relevant to the society. The Bill states the minimum grades required for those who want to train as occupational therapists and, therefore, have the right calibre of people undertaking that training. It is also important for the registration of the occupational therapists to be regulated. The registered professionals should be those that are trained by recognised colleges. This will regulate the occupational therapists profession and ensure that they conduct themselves in an ethical manner. The council will handle disciplinary action for those who engage in malpractices. One of the issues we have in this country is setting up of boards which are necessary, but there is always a risk of duplication of roles and, given that this is a money Bill, there will be a lot of expenditure if the board does not fund itself internally. When you look at the composition of the board, I find some members will not be necessary - like the Chairperson of the Occupational Therapists Association and, at the same time, there will be other four occupational therapists nominated by the Association. I find that might be unnecessary. Therefore, I am asking the Hon. Member to consider bringing an amendment in the Third Reading to reduce the number of board members so as to reduce the cost. At the beginning, maybe, the Board will not be very busy and, therefore, the number of members can be reduced. Another reservation that I have is with the Memorandum of Objects which states that this Bill does not concern counties and yet, Clause 4(e) states that there will be a representative from the county governments. We need to be careful so that we do not talk about counties and, at the same time, say that the Bill does not concern the counties. This Bill is important and Hon. Members should support it. I end by saying that the Hon. Member who has brought this Bill has worked round the clock to ensure that the profession is made relevant. Since we came to this Parliament, he has been very passionate about health services. Even in his own constituency, he is on record for having spent almost close to Kshs50 million on improving the Kapkatet District Hospital in the South Rift. That is very commendable and worth emulating. I want to dispute what one of the Hon. Members has said. He said that Hon. Sang should have joined Chama Cha Mashinani (CCM), which should be Chama Cha Mashakani . It is just like any other party which was issuing certificates on the roadsides and toilets. I want to ask Hon. Sang to focus and avoid distractions from the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) side. That is because he is a staunch member of Jubilee. 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."
}