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{
    "id": 787177,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/787177/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 163,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Oundo",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13331,
        "legal_name": "Wilberforce Ojiambo Oundo",
        "slug": "wilberforce-ojiambo-oundo-2"
    },
    "content": "point of desperation always hopes he will have some remedy or salvation at KNH or Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret. It is up to us as a country and leaders to invest heavily in healthcare. As much as I commend the Jubilee Government for considering universal healthcare as one of the Big Four agenda items they want to deal with, mere rhetoric without adequate investment will remain stories to be written in history books that will not have an impact on the health services in the country. It is important that the national Government enters into concerted partnerships with county governments to literary improve the health facilities. For example, in Busia County, the Busia Referral hospital is just a shell. It is even a shame that it is referred to as a referral hospital. It has no ambulance, no adequate medical facilities and many patients who are taken there in critical conditions ultimately simply die even in cases where it can be avoided. All other health facilities in the county have nothing. They are just empty shells or empty buildings or structures that have basically nothing. They are only invested with termites and bedbugs with nothing of use. So, I urge the national Government and the Committee to look at this issue in a holistic manner, by introducing a more serious approach to healthcare issues, strengthen structures at lower level hospitals, provide them with necessary facilities and give them medical supplies to enable them truly serve the people of Kenya. The other day, there was a report in the newspapers that county governments owe the Kenya Medical Supplies Agency (KEMSA), the organ that provides medical and related equipment to hospitals, Kshs2.8 billion. Of course, the county governments argue and probably correctly that they do not get money disbursed from the national Government as required by law and the Constitution. So, obviously, their service delivery is getting constrained. I appeal to the national Government that it should not sabotage county governments or devolution. I urge it to expeditiously and promptly provide funds to county governments to enable them run health facilities. A sick nation’s productivity will go down and we will not deliver on any matter."
}