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    "id": 813192,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/813192/?format=api",
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    "content": "be instituted. Based on the unfortunate statistics on the few number of mental health facilities in the country, we recommend that the Government runs programmes to encourage the youth to specialize in psychiatric education. On the issue of stigmatization of mental health, Kenyans need to re-learn and be re-taught that mental health disorder does not mean that one is not a human being or that there are spirits that are attacking you. It is a disorder. It is an illness that can be sorted because there are ways of treating it. Allow me to interject myself and state that I appreciate the fact that the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) covers for this sort of psychiatric treatment. It is something that many Kenyans do not know. You can see a psychiatrist and it will covered by the NHIF. I believe that is the spirit of the universal health care programme that will be rolled out. It is also the spirit of the Big Four Agendas. For that, I commend. However, the fact remains that many Kenyans do not realize that they can seek help on mental illnesses and that the NHIF will cover that cost. This awareness needs to get out there. Madam Temporary Speaker, we also want more psychiatrists. We would like our youth to be sensitized that these are areas that our country needs specialists because they are busy looking for jobs. Can we then get a few more psychiatrists in place? We would also like to increase the number of mental health facilities and specialists. We, therefore, recommend the increase of the current mental health budget. This is very critical. What has been allocated to the mental health budget is a mere two or three per cent of the health budget yet we recognise that the NHIF will cover mental illnesses. If that is recognized in the NHIF, it will be prudent that we allocate more funds to mental health and setting up of these institutions countrywide to allow Kenyans to access these facilities. In a bid to increase awareness and avail information on access to services, the Government should collaborate with other non-state actors in the mental health industry who offer mental health services and inform the public about their existence and what services they offer. Madam Temporary Speaker, in conclusion, I believe that this is a very sensitive issue that requires a lot of conversation. Mental health issues need a lot of conversation. I would like to take cognisance of the fact that there has been a lot of conversation around the area of mental health. It has not been on the Floor of this House, but there are various stakeholders who have been having these conversations. I know that there have been on the media. There are a lot of reports that have been written regarding the state of mental health of Kenyans. It is time that this House adopted these issues. When the Bill comes, we will seek the support of the House so that we can amend the legislation to be in line with what the new Constitution envisages. We also pray that the policy can be operationalized because a lot of it has captured a number of good operational issues that if they were implemented, we would not be in the state that we are currently in today. I beg to move this Motion and request the Senator for Kisii County to second it."
}