Kuppet is now demanding the immediate reinstatement of the withdrawn medical insurance scheme for tutors. According to the union, a good number of teachers and their dependents have been left without necessary medical care after health facilities under the scheme announced the suspension of services as of Monday, July 8.
According to Moses Nthurima, the acting secretary-general of Kuppet, nearly all the private and mission hospitals that had been accredited under the scheme stopped offering services to teachers. Those affected include Vihiga, Nyeri, Nairobi, and Mombasa.
“Only public hospitals now offer services to teachers, yet these are too few and often lack equipment or even reagents for lab tests, and even the process of seeing doctors is a problem,” said Nthurima.
The union is protesting the pathetic situation in which teachers have continually been made to pay hard-earned money for medical services, some even detained in hospitals over unsettled bills. This worsens the ability of the teaches to attend to the students and fulfill professional commitments.
“Whereas the government has paid a whopping Sh15 billion towards the medical scheme, teachers are back to the bad old days of holding fundraising events to offset medical and funeral expenses,” Nthurima added.
Access to medical care is also an education trade unionist fundamental matter of human dignity. The lack of means to afford medical attention rendered the dignity of teachers completely undermined, reiterated Nthurima.
“These teachers are pillars in their communities. Kuppet demands the immediate reinstatement of the scheme so that teachers can access the services due to them as a matter of right,” he said.
Besides the medical insurance issue, Kuppet has also complained over the reduction of the Knec budget. According to Kuppet National Chairman Omboko Milemba, the budget was cut to zero and the Government allocated nothing for administration of national examinations slated to begin in three months.
“The council’s budget has been slashed to zero and the government has not set a single coin for the administration of national examinations. With only three months left before the examinations begin, this means there will be no national examinations this year unless parents agree to foot the costs,” Milemba warned.
He echoed sentiments borne earlier by Nthurima, who termed the medical insurance cover as a scheme dogged by many difficulties. In this regard, Milemba said many hospitals complained of not getting payments from the Teachers Service Commission for treatments taken by teachers; he asked TSC to take responsibility for teachers’ medical bills and ensure that funds promised to support the scheme are allocated.
“We are calling upon the Teachers’ Service Commission to see that, when teachers are taken for treatment, the commission takes up responsibility for their medical bills. The commission has to be like a surrogate parent for the teachers. Hence, we call upon the commission to provide allocated funds as promised so that the scheme can be fully supported,” Milemba said.