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{
    "id": 917420,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/917420/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 289,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Omogeni",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13219,
        "legal_name": "Erick Okong'o Mogeni",
        "slug": "erick-okongo-mogeni"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir. I rise to support this Bill. First, I would like to pass my condolences to the family of Bob Collymore who succumbed to cancer yesterday. Health is an important and key function that was devolved by the Constitution of Kenya 2010 that was enacted by the people of Kenya. Health is everything. For this country to develop, for our economy to flourish, we need a healthy generation. Most of the people who seek medical services reside in the counties. To stop the people that we represent from seeking medical services in Nairobi City, we have to ensure that medical care in our counties is functioning. The biggest disconnect in our endeavour of providing adequate and quality medical care to our people is lack of adequate medical supplies in the county hospitals. I salute the Mover of this Bill, Sen. Seneta, who has acknowledged the key role played by our governors in ensuring that we have adequate medical supplies in our county hospitals. I visited my county, Nyamira, in response to the cries of our people regarding shortage of medicine. Most County Executive Committee Members (CECs) will tell you that they place orders to the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) but KEMSA does not meet the requirement of various counties. In the process, patients are attended to by well-trained doctors who prescribe to them medicine, but they end up being referred to various chemists within the counties. I do not know about the other counties but that is what happens in Nyamira. It is not a good thing. For us to have a functioning healthcare system, we need a one stop shop where a patient can be attended to by a doctor and given medicine in the hospital pharmacy. In fact, our county governments have employed county pharmacists so as to ensure that there are adequate supplies. We even have good storage facilities that include refrigeration system for storage hence we should not have shortage of medicine. In acknowledging the need of having good interaction between the county governments and KEMSA, the Council of Governors (CoG) will now be represented in the board of the proposed Kenya Medical Supplies Authority. It does not make sense to have representation from the National Treasury and Planning, the Ministry of Devolution and Arid and Semi-Arid Lands and the Ministry of Health, but end up excluding the governors who are consumers of KEMSA services. This is a good Bill. However, we are approaching this matter with the view that everything should revolve around the Ministry. The Bill proposes the representation of the principal secretaries from the National Treasury and Planning, Ministry of Devolution and Arid and Semi-Arid Lands and the Ministry of Health in the board. It has also given the Cabinet Secretary (CS) the leeway to pick four other board members. In total, the central Government will pick seven representatives and the CoG will pick two. I would rather we give more representation to the CoG. The CS can pick two members and the representation for the CoG can be increased to four. Last week, we had a public hearing on the Cancer Prevention and Control (Amendment) Bill, 2019, that was moved by my good friend, Sen. (Dr.) Ali. There were people who proposed for alternative therapy on the treatment of cancer. They said that we should not just concentrate on chemotherapy as the only remedy for treatment of cancer. Instead, they said that we can look for other remedies including nutritional remedies and The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}