Entry Instance

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

{
    "id": 855167,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/855167/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 61,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Seme, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. (Dr.) James Nyikal",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 434,
        "legal_name": "James Nyikal",
        "slug": "james-nyikal"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Speaker for giving me the opportunity to make a statement in relation to the report on the cost of care at MP Shah Hospital. The report notes that the fee was extremely high – Kshs800,000 within two days of being in hospital – and that the fee guidelines that were provided, and which the Committee looked at, were themselves so high. Actually, it turned out that the hospital and the professionals that looked after the patient acted within the fee guidelines. I rise to sort of clear my name because last week, the Chair made a comment on the Floor indicating that the fee guidelines are out of touch with our Universal Health Care (UHC) agenda. I do concur. Hon. Pukose and many people thereafter commented indicating that I had initiated the fee guidelines. The examples they were giving were obviously extremely high. I want to state that what I initiated was the concept that we should have fee guidelines, which I believe is something that this country needs if we are going to contain the cost of healthcare. However, what I recommended at the time, in 2006, were far much lower fees than what was stated here on the Floor. I want to give a few examples to see the difference within 10 years. Our Chair indicated the cost of repair of fistula. I mention this issue of fistula because it is a big problem for women. The guideline that was on the Floor that day was Kshs.180,000 to Kshs.420,000. What I had recommended in the guideline that started off was Kshs20,000 to Kshs80,000. When a uterus raptures during labour, my recommendation was Kshs 30,000 to Kshs90,000. What was indicated here is Kshs.180,000 to Kshs. 420,000. There was a lot of interest on circumcision. I had indicated Kshs5,000 to 10,000, but what was indicated here was Kshs18,000 to Kshs36,000. For kidney transplant, what I recommended was kshs50,000 to Kshs100,000. What the Chair read here was Kshs240,000 to Kshs.360,000. I concur that these fees are extremely high. I rose to clear that it was not my intention that we should have such high fees. What we have recommended in the Committee is that those new fee guidelines must be looked at immediately and revised downwards. I believe if we are going to have universal The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposes only. Acertified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}