Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has cautioned health facilities against denying treatment to patients under the Social Health Authority (SHA) due to system downtime, warning that such actions breach Kenyans’ constitutional right to healthcare.
Speaking at Afya House in Nairobi during a meeting with officials from the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET), Duale directed all health facilities contracted under SHA to continue providing services even when technical disruptions occur.
The CS warned that any facility found turning away patients because of system challenges risks immediate suspension and possible termination of its contract with the authority.
During the meeting, KUPPET National Chairperson Omboko Milemba focused on the implementation of the Public Officers Medical Cover following the transition of 413,577 teachers to the SHA scheme.
To improve service delivery, Duale announced that 425 senior officers have been appointed within SHA to help manage the rollout of the scheme.
Of these, 367 officers were deployed to counties to provide on-the-ground support and assist teachers facing difficulties while accessing services at health facilities.
The Health CS also revealed that a dedicated 24-hour focal person has been assigned to handle urgent matters related to the Mwalimu Medical Cover.
Additionally, 47 county-level joint committees were formed to oversee the implementation of the teachers’ medical scheme.
The committees, chaired by Teachers Service Commission (TSC) county directors and comprising SHA managers alongside union representatives, are slated to meet quarterly to address operational challenges and enhance coordination.
The Ministry of Health also agreed to collaborate with the TSC and KUPPET to roll out a nationwide sensitisation campaign aimed at educating teachers about their medical benefits, how to access the patient portal, and how to navigate the scheme.
Duale also assured workers that their interests remain represented within the governance structure of SHA, noting that the Central Organization of Trade Unions has a seat on the authority’s board.
The remarks come amid rising tensions after KUPPET issued a seven-day strike notice over what it described as a failing SHA medical cover.
The union claimed that several teachers had been denied treatment, while others were reportedly detained in hospitals due to unpaid medical bills.
KUPPET has also urged its employer, TSC, to withdraw from the medical scheme, citing the challenges teachers have faced while seeking SHA medical care.
