KUPPET wants medical cover reinstated

KUPPET Deputy Secretary-General Moses Nthurima. [Silas Otieno, Standard]

The Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) has called for the reinstatement of its member's medical cover scheme.

The union's acting Secretary General Moses Nthurima said they have been receiving complaints from their members over the cover with the majority citing inaccessibility.

It is paid for by teachers' employers the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) and Minet Insurance provide the cover.

“As of Monday, July 8, nearly all private and mission hospitals accredited under the scheme had stopped providing services to teachers and their dependents,” said Nthurima.

According to the Ag SG, teachers can only get services sought from public hospitals which are inadequate and often lack equipment or reagents for essential treatment.

The cover was anticipated to take care of 360,000 teachers out of the 406,000 teachers on the TSC payroll.

Nthurima said some of their members who sought services from private and mission hospitals in places like Vihiga, Nyeri, Nairobi, and Mombasa Counties had been turned back.

“Many teachers have been forced to pay for services from their own pockets while others are being detained at hospitals which have withdrawn their services for inpatient care.”

He pointed a finger at TSC saying that they should explain to Kenyans why teachers are suffering despite a huge investment in the scheme.

“Whereas the government has paid a whooping Sh15 billion towards the medical scheme, teachers are back to the old days of holding fundraisings to offset medical and funeral expenses.”

The union now wants the scheme reinstated so that its members can access services due to them as a matter of right.

At the same time, the union called for a reconsideration of budget cuts for the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC).

“The council’s budget had been cut to zero.”

According to the union, the Kenya Kwanza administration did not factor in any money for the administration's national examinations which are three months away.

“With only three months left before the examinations begin, this means that there will be no national examinations this year unless parents agree to foot the costs.”

The lobby group said they had expressed their concerns over KNEC’s low funding to Parliament, Treasury, and the Ministry of Education.

“The union will fight to secure proper financing of examination management, including collective bargaining for examiners.”

They also want the government to safeguard the education sector and Kenya's efforts at manpower development even as the government implements austerity measures.