CS Duale Disputes TSC’s Claim About 360,000 Teachers Excluded from SHA

CS Duale Disputes TSC’s Claim About 360,000 Teachers Excluded from SHA

Following the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) stating that many teachers in the country are unable to access medical services through the Social Health Authority (SHA), the Ministry of Health has clarified that all teachers nationwide are eligible for the government-supported medical program.

In a statement released on Saturday, April 27, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale emphasized that teachers and their dependents can receive medical care through the Primary Healthcare Fund (PHC), Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF), and the Emergency, Critical, and Chronic Illness Fund (ECCIF).

“All teachers and their dependents qualify for the Social Health Authority (SHA) benefits package under the three funds—Primary Healthcare Fund (PHC), Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF), and Emergency, Critical & Chronic Illness Fund (ECCIF)—just like any other registered and contributing Kenyan,” he stated.

Duale also pointed out that employers of teachers in the country have the option to provide additional medical insurance, which is not managed by the SHA.

He noted that the commission could choose to enroll its employees in the Public Officer Medical Scheme Fund, which would allow them to determine additional benefits based on their budget.

“Employers like the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) can offer complementary insurance for their employees through a legitimate insurance provider,” he explained.

“The Social Health Authority does not oversee the TSC’s supplementary medical coverage, which is sourced from a private insurance company,” he added.

Duale’s remarks came two days after Nancy Macharia, the CEO of the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), addressed the National Assembly on April 24, claiming that the Authority had refused to enroll over 360,000 teachers.

Macharia stated that the Authority cited a lack of adequate infrastructure nationwide to enroll the teachers and mentioned that Ksh37 billion would be needed to build the required facilities.

“Last year, when we faced issues with Minet, we aimed to transition our teachers to SHA. We have always wanted our teachers to be under the national insurer, even during the NHIF era,” she said.

“We met with SHA before renewing our contract with Minet for this final year, and they informed us that they didn’t have enough infrastructure. They indicated that Ksh.37 billion would be necessary to enroll our teachers, but even then, they were not prepared to take them on this year,” she added.