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"id": 928599,
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Mutula Kilonzo Jnr",
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"content": "authority that cancer can be managed without chemotherapy. I said yesterday that I know a lady who has been treated without chemotherapy. She does not want to disclose the name of her doctor who feels that if he was to be disclosed, his life would be in danger. Why would that be so? Apparently, chemotherapy is a money-making venture. So, we should not only declare this a national disaster. We were told this morning that according to the policy, the biggest problem about this disease is early detection and management before it becomes an issue. In the cases of our two colleagues; Governor (Dr.) Joyce Laboso was about management and that of hon. Ken Okoth was late detection. On the issue of education about what causes cancer, we are told that it is possible that the mursik that is being consumed can give people cancer, hence the question mark about esophagus cancer in parts of Rift Valley. How do we determine these issues? The best thing that we can do for the country is to invest more on quality research. What is it that Apollo and Medanta Hospitals in New Delhi, India, do that we are not doing here yet they are in Kenya? My own research is that the equipment that is Medanta and Apollo in New Delhi is not up in Medanta and Apollo in Kenya. Madam Temporary Speaker, instead of spending the amount of money that we are seeing in the medical equipment leasing scheme that we have refused and is lying down everywhere, for example, Marsabit, Isiolo, Makueni and other places, why not invest in equipment so that our people do not suffer? It is not enough to set up brick and mortar infrastructure. If we had medical equipment that can detect cancer that was under a tent, it is good enough. If we offer those facilities, the brick and mortar is not as important. We must continue to say so. This is because the money that we have set in the proposed budget by Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA) is brick and mortar. So, the centres are okay. However, let us equip them. Before we build, every county should import the equipment where necessary. If I was to get the equipment, I would set it up in a school in Makueni or in empty social halls that we have all over the country and convert it to a centre where the equipment can be kept. The last issue that I want to highlight is that of diet. There are all sorts of rumours about processed meat, milk, sugar, French fries and everything else. There is education that it is possible that we are getting some of these diseases from foods. I have pictures of smoking, nyama choma, burgers and other things. This education can only be done if we insist, alongside having cancer centres in every county, that we have nutritionists hired by every county to ensure that some of these things are done. I support this proposal by Sen. (Dr.) Ali, with the caveats that I have mentioned. The national policy on cancer treatment that was given to us this morning that includes early detection and management of cancer should be included and done. The national Government ought to collaborate and coordinate with county governments. Health has the largest conditional grant in the division of revenue. Therefore, I would like Sen. (Dr.) Ali to consider the proposal that further conditional grants are put in the Division of Revenue Bill beginning with Financial Year 2020/2021, for cancer equipment in hospitals. If I had the opportunity or seated in a place of authority, I would suspend the conditional grant for medical leasing equipment in exchange for equipment for detection and management of cancer in every county. That is a better way of dealing with this."
}