Esther Passaris to Spend Night in Hospital on Fact Finding Mission

Nairobi Woman Representative Esther Passaris will spend Saturday night at Mama Lucy Hospital on a fact-finding mission on the nature of services offered at public hospitals.

Speaking at Mama Lucy Hospital on Thursday while visiting a family that had lost their daughter, the lawmaker revealed her plan and offered herself for tests.

The legislator stated that she wants to have a first-hand taste of public hospital services and also undertake the same in a private hospital before putting the results in public for comparison.

Passaris revealed she will undergo a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) for the spine - as recommended by her doctor, and also see an Ear, Nose and Throat specialist and after that undergo a Mammogram.

[caption caption="File image of Women Rep Passaris spending her birthday with the sick at KNH"][/caption]

"At the heart of the debate on the importation of Cuban doctors, I want to get the experience of how Kenyan doctors handle patients in our public hospitals," the Woman Rep stated.

Passaris maintained that the experience will also help her gauge whether the equipment given to counties under the Medical Equipment Service Scheme have improved public health service delivery.

She also lauded the hospital's digital system adding that she was impressed by the number of permanent staffs employed at the facility compared to Kenyatta National Hospital where most of the workers are hired as casuals.

The lawmaker addressed patients and urged them to be NHIF compliant and also observe family planning citing the high levels of poverty.

Her plan comes at a time when Kwale woman representative Zuleikha Hassan has proposed changes in the law that will make it compulsory for public officers, including the President, to be covered by the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF).

[caption caption="File image of Women Rep Passaris spending her birthday with the sick at KNH"][/caption]

According to Hassan, public officers should be able to use government health facilities, unlike the current case where they often opt for treatment out of the country - even for minor conditions.