The Kenya County Government Workers Union has expressed alarm over lack of Nairobi county staff medical cover and demanded immediate coverage.
Nairobi Branch secretary Benson Oriaro said from the beginning of this year, Nairobi county staff have been operating without medical cover. This lack exposes them to the risk of contracting preventable diseases and setting the stage for drug resistance to lifetime diseases.
“Surprisingly we learnt of the service stoppage on December 30, 2018, without any notification to consumers. This threw the entire staff into a health crisis, especially those attending a routine clinic for chronic ailments management,” Oriaro said.
Section 7 ( 2 ) of Work Injury Benefits Act 2007 mandates employers to obtain and maintain an insurance policy. The insurer must be approved by the minister for any liability the employer may incur for illness or injury to any of his employees.
Section 34 of Employment Act 2007 calls for sufficient and proper medicine for employees and if possible, medical attendance during serious illness.
The union said none of the above has been offered since January 1 this year, exposing staff to further dangers. “The county is in breach of Section 34 paragraph ( 3 ) and is therefore liable for the unnecessary deaths that have risen between January 1 to when the cover will have been reverted to the county staff,” Oriaro added.
TENDER EXTENDED
He said the union had earlier complained of mistreatment by the service provider, AAR, through Bliss Healthcare and they had proposed its replacement with National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) for maximum benefits.
The union is urging the Nairobi county government to extend the cover immediately. The staff have, however, not given the government an ultimatum if their medical cover is not reinstated. Nairobi was sued for an ‘excessive’ Sh1.7 billion health cover.
Health insurance company AAR was then fighting to stay on after winning the tender for two consecutive years during former governor Evans Kidero’s administration in 2015-16 and 2016-17.
The tender was meant to end on June 30, 2017, but the administration under Governor Mike Sonko extended it for three months to allow time for procurement. County Assembly Minority Chief Whip Peter Imwatok said during the three months, AAR was paid Sh326 million which he claimed was more than the county paid the insurance company for two years.
However, Majority leader Abdi Hassan Guyo said an insurance payment of Sh1.7 billion was passed but only Sh1.06 billion went to AAR and the rest to other insurance companies.