Teachers threaten to boycott work over medical cover
Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers Chairman Omboko Milemba (left), union’s secretary-general Akello Misori speak to the press in Nairobi on October 3, 2018. PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Kuppet accuses TSC of continuously renewing the contract with the insurance firm despite limited services.
Union says outpatient services, which are supposed to be limitless under the contract, have collapsed.
- It also states that most health providers have withdrawn from Minet, hampering efficiency of service delivery to teachers.
Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) has threatened to boycott work over medical cover contract with Minet Insurance Brokers.
Kuppet secretary general Akelo Misori claimed that the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has continuously renewed the agreement with the insurance firm despite limited services.
OUTPATIENT SERVICES
Mr Misori complained that outpatient services, which are supposed to be limitless under the contract, have collapsed forcing the over 70,000 teachers covered by the scheme to foot their bills after being attended to.
He also stated that most health providers have withdrawn from Minet, hampering the efficiency of delivery of medical services to the teachers.
"We are demanding that the commission does not renew the agreement that is due in the month of October 2018, failure to which we shall call the teachers out on work boycott, " said Mr Misori on Wednesday in Nairobi.
Mr Misori said that TSC, as the procurement entity, entered into agreement with Minet Insurance Brokers in 2015 to underwrite health insurance for all teachers under the commission's employment.
MEDICAL ALLOWANCE
According to the contract, TSC was to alienate the entire medical allowance from all the teachers totalling to Sh5.6 billion annually.
He claimed that the insurer has shifted its support to private clinics that lack qualified medics and the requisite capacity to treat teachers.
"The outpatient services which, in terms of the current contract are supposed to be limitless are virtually non-existent. In a few clinics where teachers receive such services, the treatment is restricted within a certain amount, " he said.
The secretary-general pointed out that the pre-authorisation for treatment by the insurer before being attended is a serious impediment that has led to untold suffering for teachers, especially those seeking admission under emergency conditions.
SIGHED AWAY
"Teachers have since sighed away from attending those clinics. This means that majority of teachers have been forced to foot their own medical bills despite having lost medical allowance to Minet Insurance, " he said.
Mr Misori said that they have already petitioned the National Assembly to intervene in the matter.
He also called on the sister union; Kenya National Union of Teachers to support them on the same.
