Days after the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) said that thousands of teachers in the country cannot access medical care through the Social Health Authority (SHA), the Ministry of Health has clarified that all teachers in the country are eligible for the government-backed medical scheme.
In a statement on Saturday, April 27, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said that teachers and their dependents can access medical care under the Primary Healthcare Fund (PHC), Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF), and the Emergency, Critical, and Chronic Illness Fund (ECCIF). "All teachers and their dependents are eligible for the Social Health Authority (SHA) benefits package under the three funds, i.e., Primary Healthcare Fund (PHC), Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF), and Emergency, Critical & Chronic Illness Fund (ECCIF,) like any other Kenyan who is registered and contributing," he stated.
Duale further clarified that teachers' employers in the country have the right to provide complementary medical insurance for teachers, which is not under the control of the SHA. A photo of TSC CEO Nancy Macharia.
Photo: TSC The CS has further said that the commission can opt to enroll its employees in the Public Officer Medical Scheme Fund, which they will need to determine the complementary benefits depending on the commission's budget. "Employers such as the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) can provide complementary insurance for their employees for additional benefits through a valid insurance underwriter," he stated. "The Social Health Authority does not manage the TSC's complimentary medical cover, which they got from a private insurance provider," he stated.
