House team’s dilemma over proposed parastatal

MPs in Parliament. The National Assembly’s Budget and Appropriations Committee is mulling over a proposal to convert the Pharmacy and Poisons Board into a semi-autonomous Pharmacy and Poisons Authority. PHOTO/FILE

 By JOHN NGIRACHU
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The National Assembly’s Budget and Appropriations Committee is mulling over a proposal to convert the Pharmacy and Poisons Board into a semi-autonomous Pharmacy and Poisons Authority.

But the committee is concerned about proposals by some MPs and government agencies that it would lead to the creation of more parastatals, which would effectively increase the wage bill.

Committee chairman Mutava Musyimi spoke of the concerns as the team met Endebess MP Robert Pukose, who has sponsored the Bill to amend the Pharmacy and Poisons Act.

At the same meeting, the team was also presented with an analysis of a proposal by Cecilia Ngetich (Bomet County, URP) for the creation of an Engineering Technologists and Technicians Registration Board.

Dr Pukose said the main aim of his Bill is to break down the current structure, where the Chief Pharmacist is the chief executive officer of the Pharmacy and Poisons Board. The Director of Medical Services wouldn’t also be a part of the board.

The MP argued that his aim is for the DMS and the Chief Pharmacist not “to report to themselves.”

He said the PPMB currently doesn't have the autonomy it needs and work better if it operated along the lines of its equivalent in more developed countries.

“I want to bring it to the level of the Food and Drug Administration of the United States,” he told his colleagues.

His proposed law would set new obligations to be met by people in business as pharmacists or pharmaceutical technologists and gives powers to the authority that would be created to supervise their performance.

The Budget committee is tasked with scrutinising Bills with a financial implication and Rev Musyimi spoke of the team’s concerns.

SO MANY AUTHORITIES

“Our fear is that we’ll have so many authorities. Tomorrow dentists, nurses and paramedics will come here with similar proposals,” he said.

Dr Pukose said the Health Committee is working on a Health Bill that would provide for the management of the other professionals working in the health sector.

Because members of the Cord coalition were having their Parliamentary Group meeting, and the input of the former DMS, Seme MP Dr James Nyikal would have been useful, the decision on whether Dr Pukose’s Bill would be published or not was deferred to next Tuesday.

Ms Ngetich’s Bill is for the establishment of an institution to regulate the engineering technologists and consulting firms via the creation of a board with a registrar and which would set minimum standards for registration as a professional in that line of work.

The committee will decide on whether it would be more prudent to introduce amendments to the Engineers Act so that the Engineers Registration Board can also manage technologists and technicians or have a new board altogether.