Entry Instance

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

{
    "id": 813211,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/813211/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 210,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Olekina",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 407,
        "legal_name": "Ledama Olekina",
        "slug": "ledama-olekina"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, the WHO lists Kenya among the countries that do not have a separate budget for mental health. This is a serious problem because way back in 2016, the estimates were that about 11.5 million people were suffering from mental health illnesses. Some people do not understand this concept of mental health. I thank the Senator for Kisii County for demystifying the whole issue. Many people think that mental health is when you have gone completely cuckoo, and then the only place that you can be sent to is Mathari Mental Hospital. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, it is important that county governments are involved in supporting the welfare of the Kenyan people. The mental health welfare of our society is very important because every so often, all of us suffer some form of mental illness. Some of us are stressed on a daily basis; some go through depression while others abuse alcohol, all of which are forms of mental health illnesses. It is sad that in Kenya – where we fight so much and brag about having a huge budget focusing on health care – we cannot support people suffering from some forms of mental illness. Mr. Temporary Speaker, I worry about the disabled in this country because that was not what they intended to be in life; it just happened to them. In addition to that, they also suffer some form of mental illness. If this country cannot come up with a separate budget dedicated to building these healthcare facilities, how will they support this economy? This is, therefore, an excellent Motion and I hope that the Ministry of Health is also listening keenly. If you look at the number of shrinks or psychiatrists in this country, it is below par. Nurses who are trained to attend to people with forms of mental illnesses are very few. I read somewhere that they are only 427 in the whole country. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}