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{
    "id": 943824,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/943824/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 33,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Were",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13183,
        "legal_name": "Petronila Were Lokorio",
        "slug": "petronila-were-lokorio"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Speaker, Sir, with this Motion, we expect that the concerned authorities will take it up and provide training for those that are already in the system. This will also encourage others to come up and join these primary healthcare givers whom we call volunteers. At this moment, they have no certification and training. There is no policy to guide on how they should work. Without this policy, these workers are on several occasions, misused, underpaid and overworked. They are not provided with equipment because no one recognizes them in any legal way. However, with this Motion, we will have a policy in place and county governments will be mandated to recognize these groups. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the importance of these primary healthcare givers at the local level cannot be understated. In my county of birth – that is Busia County – there is an organization called the Rural Education and Economic Enhancement Programme (REEP), which is run by a lady called Mary Makokha. This lady and her organization have taken the issue of primary healthcare givers and volunteers at the local level very effectively. For the last 20 years, she has ably used these people to help prevent diseases like HIV/AIDS, other viral infections and even cholera from spreading, and simple hygiene-related diseases. She uses these groups to help prevent those diseases. Our community is much better because of these primary care givers who are all the way to the village level. It has been said so many times that without her organization and how she has put these workers in place in the village and even in homes, our villages would be wiped out by scourges like HIV/AIDS, simple hygiene illnesses like cholera and diarrhea. She has promoted immunization programmes in the region. Mr. Speaker, Sir, these health care givers at the village level go around even reminding mothers when they should have their children go for regular antenatal and postnatal checkups. Every day, they remind mothers, especially those who are HIV/AIDS positive on when they should take their drugs. They advise them on what they should be doing when their immunity is low. So, these healthcare givers are very important. That example of REEP alone should encourage counties across the country to adopt this, put up a policy and develop a programme to engage healthcare givers in a more organized way. With that recognition, we shall even have polytechnics, which are also a devolved function, taking up this as an area of study so that we have more of these healthcare givers. By so doing, we shall have a healthy nation. As I said earlier, a healthy nation is a wealthy nation. I thank Sen. Nyamunga for this Motion, which is long overdue, six years into devolution. With those many remarks, I beg to support. 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."
}