Kenya: COTU gives conditions to back NHIF scheme

The Central Organisation of Trade Unions (COTU) will support the full implementation of the new National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) scheme on condition that the insurer only engages the services of public health facilities.

COTU Secretary General Francis Atwoli yesterday said the union will back NHIF if it enters into a binding contract with all Government hospitals as health providers for its members.

According to Atwoli, the contract by the health insurer must contain a clause that will compel all public health facilities to have a wing set aside exclusively to NHIF-contributing members.

“COTU demands that NHIF enters a binding contract with all Government hospitals as health provides to set aside a complete wing dedicated solely to all NHIF card-holders," reads a statement by Atwoli in part.

"Such holders will be able to walk in and out without any hitch and this will ease the many complaints currently being raised by contributors as they seek services against their contributions," he added.

NHIF and COTU in previous negotiations agreed on new rates in which workers contribute between Sh150 and Sh1,700 per month. The rates will allow contributors to access outpatient services in various hospitals countrywide, among other benefits.

"Let us pre-occupy ourselves with creating a wing in every public hospital across the country after which the NHIF can now go for the private-owned health providers as a second alternative," said Atwoli.

The COTU boss warned that the obsession by NHIF to engage private health providers and hospitals may lead to the collapse of the institution, adding that most of the entities are run by corrupt persons.

"The previous NHIF scheme collapsed following COTU 's move to court to stop the contributions as most of these private hospitals are run by corrupt individuals out to make money at the expense of workers' health," he said.

He also appealed to NHIF to expedite the deal with the Government over the new scheme.

Meanwhile, NHIF is now targeting the elderly and severely disabled in a move aimed at increasing the uptake of its packages. Already, the insurer is carrying out pre-tests on the implementation arrangements, effects on the poor and cost of providing health insurance for the poor by the Government.