Lawmakers are seeking to establish their own hospital within Parliament Buildings to cater to their medical treatment needs.
The Parliamentary Health Services Unit has been proposed by the Members Services and Facilities Committee of the National Assembly.
In a report tabled in the House on August 11, the lawmakers said the idea entails establishing a health unit within Parliament and reengineering the services in the current Health Club.
The committee, chaired by Nyaribari Masaba MP Ezekiel Machogu, said the lessons learned during the Covid-19 pandemic have necessitated the need for the facility.
At the height of the outbreak, the Ministry of Health deployed a public health specialist to conduct tests on MPs and staffers.
The team said the intervention helped deal with the Covid-19 situation, but things would have been better if there was a facility tasked with the responsibility.
“The Parliamentary Service Commission could consider guaranteeing the gains by establishing a full-fledged health and wellness unit within its control,” the MPs said in the report.
“Urgent matters such as those of Covid-19 and vaccination would be efficiently and effectively handled from within.”
The team said Parliament has suffered inadequate coordination of health functions due to a lack of technical health expertise in wellness, food safety, and quality control.
MPs also argue that the health facility will deal with poor health habits of many workers, high rates of chronic diseases and the rising cost of health services.
The team said they aim to enhance the health of members and Parliament staff to improve productivity.
The unit will have physical activity and weight management, risk assessment, skills development, health education, nutrition, and stress reduction components.
The weight management component, the report reads, will see Parliament establish a worksite exercise facility to support a physically active lifestyle.
MPs borrowed the concept from Safaricom, Central Bank of Kenya, and Kenya Pipeline Company, all of which have established health centres.
Lawmakers have further recommended that the House’s wellness club be spruced up to suit the stature of Parliament.
The proposed renovations would involve a complete overhaul of the reception area, massage rooms, bathrooms and toilets, changing areas, steam baths and saunas, rest areas, barber and salon areas, gym, among other general works.
MPs want a complete makeover of the saunas and steam bath areas. They want the latest model of the steam-generating system installed.
Part of the plan is to also convert the gents’ area into a manicure, pedicure, and reflexology station as well as create a hair washing point for the women members.
For general works, MPs want to instal a new air conditioning system with hyper filters, repair of electrical faults as well as adjustment of lights.
Edited by A.N
