Elgeyo Marakwet Governor Wisley Rotich has intervened to restore medical insurance for more than 2,000 employees who have gone for one year without cover.
The county workers can now access medical services under an enhanced National Hospital Insurance Fund.
Governor Rotich termed as bureaucratic challenges and board rows over a Sh124 million medical cover which caused the workers to suffer for long.
Some former top county officials had preferred a private firm to offer the medical cover, while others had pushed to have the NHIF cover leading to the stalemate.
Many workers complained of being forced to pay for health services directly on their own after a cover offered by Trident Insurance lapsed in September last year.
“Some of us had resorted to what we called WhatsApp medical cover because we had been forced to rely on contributions from friends and well wishers through the social media groups in order for us to pay medical bills,” employee said.
James Kangogo, who is branch secretary Kenya County Government Workers Union, said the governor had saved many of the workers from suffering because of lack of the medical cover.
"Workers had gone for a year without reliable medical services because of self interest. We appreciate Governor Rotich for his swift action,” Kangogo said.
He said the union had been ready for a cover by NHIF, but some county chiefs favoured a private insurance company for their monetary gain.
“We struggled to have the NHIF cover for all staff and this is a win to us following the governor’s intervention,” the branch secretary said.
"It was wrong for staff to work without a reliable medical cover. I have ensured that everyone starting from junior staff will now enjoy unlimited medical cover,” Rotich said.
The county chief said the county ECDE teachers are among the least paid and it was inhuman to subject them to paying medical bills on their own.
Rotich also said in the past junior staff had been abandoned while those occupying higher offices had secured themselves an enhanced cover with the NHIF.
"Junior staff had been lumped up into a private insurance cover which was often unreliable while those in higher job groups enjoyed a good cover with NHIF,” he said.
Under the national insurance cover, staff from job group A to K will enjoy unlimited outpatient cover. They are required to choose an outpatient facility.
The officers will also enjoy comprehensive in-patient services in government and faith-based health facilities and only on referral to non-comprehensive high cost private hospitals.
Officers in job groups L to Q will not be required to choose a facility and will also enjoy inpatient services in all comprehensive and non-comprehensive hospitals.
Those in job groups R to T will enjoy fee-for-service outpatient within applicable limits in any hospital accredited by the NHIF.
All staff of the county are required to register with the NHIF and update their next of kin details.
(edited by Amol Awuor)
