The Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) in Kisumu has expressed deep concern over the urgent situation where its members are being turned away from various medical facilities due to non-remittance of funds to their respective medical health insurance providers.
The body also blamed the anomaly on the nonfunctional nature of the Social Health Authority and the Social Health Insurance Funds
KUPPET Executive Secretary Zablon Awange has blamed the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) for not remitting funds deducted from its staff.
Speaking in Kisumu, Awange said teachers are not to blame if their employer does not remit the funds.
Awange said that several medical institutions are now involved in a row with Minet, the country’s main health insurer for teachers.
He said health facilities have started referring teachers back and forth under the guise of referrals since no funds have been given to them.
Awange said teachers have been losing their lives at a rate of 5 per month due to ailments which he noted could have been treated.
He observed that members of the teaching fraternity have been forced to go to third-rate medical facilities or forced to use their funds.
Awange said that others have been forced to despair due to nowhere to run to for the services.
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He gave the TSC a deadline to remit the funds, warning that failure would result in unspecified consequences that could further disrupt the education system.
Mr Collins Oyuu, the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) secretary-general, and the Kenya Union Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) Chairman Omboko Milemba have warned that the crisis, if not addressed, will severely disrupt school learning and impact the quality of education.
“John Mbadi, the Cabinet Secretary for National Treasury, should intervene,” Mr Milemba said.
“The disruption of medical services for teachers affects households across the 47 counties. Sick teachers cannot pay from their pockets and offer quality services to learners,” Mr Milemba said
Mr Oyuu said it was unfortunate that teachers were being turned away from hospitals.
“It is sad teachers suffering from terminal illness and those on maternity leave cannot be treated due to failure by the employer to release capitation money to the insurance provider,” Oyuu said.
“We cannot sit back and watch as the teachers suffer.”
TSC boss Dr Nancy Macharia recently said the commission had not received funds from the National Treasury.
Teachers and their family members are entitled to outpatient, inpatient, maternity, dental, optical, psychiatric, and counselling services, air and road evacuation, funeral benefits, international referrals, and travel allocation benefits.
The medical scheme covers more than 800 facilities— including public, faith-based and private hospitals.
By Fredrick Odiero
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