Roll out Sh5.6b medical cover or else...Kenyan teachers KNUT, KUPPET warn government

NAIROBI: Teachers unions now want the Sh5.6 billion medical cover implemented from April 1.

But they also want a deeper interrogation of the details of the medical cover even as plans to sign the contract are underway.

This means that the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has until next week Wednesday to roll out the multi-billion shilling cover.

The Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) and the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) Tuesday said they are concerned by the silence on the teachers’ medical cover.

However, The Standard has established that Treasury could be delaying TSC from rolling out the cover.

“TSC wrote to Treasury to get an assurance that they shall be releasing the money to TSC as and when required during the implementation process. That is where the issue lies so far,” said a Government source privy to the details of the medical cover.

Further details also indicate that the medical cover providers and TSC officials are still holed up in negotiations to fine tune details of the cover.

In a demand letter, Knut Secretary General Wilson Sossion (pictured) said teachers have huge financial burdens due to medical expenses and huge hospital bills yet it is within their rights to get a comprehensive cover. The letter dated March 11, 2015 says union members “shall be given further instructions if no action is taken by then”.

“We therefore demand that the medical cover process should be completed with immediate effect so that teachers can start enjoying the cover by April 1, 2015,” reads the letter seen by The Standard.

SPECIALISED TREATMENT

Kuppet Secretary General Akelo Misori said teachers are tired of spending so much money on medical bills.

“It is painful that we contribute for teachers almost every week to seek specialised treatment when they are entitled to a comprehensive medical cover by the employer,” said Mr Misori. He, however, said certain questions have been raised which must be answered.

“The quality of the medical cover must not be inferior to what National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) offers. For instance, teachers of job group R get a cover of over Sh2 million under NHIF. The new cover must not be less than this,” he said.

He said issues regarding identification of legitimate members and enhancement of dental cover must be addressed. The initial details of the cover indicated that teachers shall enjoy an in patient cover that ranges between Sh350,000 for the lowest paid teachers (job group G and H) to Sh1 million for those in the highest job group R.